A Hero's Journey
by mugiwara-no-lucy
Summary: Boruto has always wanted to know more about his father, especially his past when he was younger. Thanks to a forbidden jutsu in a scroll found in the Hokage's office, Boruto and his teammates find themselves traveling through Naruto's memories. However, not all things are meant to be seen. How will Boruto react to seeing his father's various triumphs, pains, successes and failures?
1. Into the Abyss

Hello, everyone! =D With the year almost at an end, I've figured what better way to celebrate than with a fic of one of my all-time favorite anime; Naruto? However this will **NOT **be a crossover but instead, just a regular Naruto fanfiction!

Now as the title and summary suggests, this is going to be a story where Boruto and his teammates get to watch Naruto's memories all the way from when he was a young boy to the point where essentially his "Hero's Journey" concluded after the events of the Fourth Great Ninja War following his final fight with Sasuke. It's been a concept that's always intrigued me ever since I saw the Boruto movie back in 2015 and I've always wondered how Boruto would react to seeing his father's journey from a young boy not understanding the concept of Shinobi to being a well-respected leader of the Shinobi World as well as Sarada's reaction to Sasuke's…..less than stellar….past. This story has been on my mind since I first started uploading stories to my Account back in 2017 and well…here it is now! XD

I wanna say this story was inspired by all the NUMEROUS stories of where the Straw Hats go into Luffy's memories and see events of his life they were ignorant about; namely his childhood with meeting Shanks along with Ace and Sabo, Impel Down and Marineford. These lovely authors and their masterpieces include my good buddy XFangHeartX and her amazing fanfiction, The Fire Within, HeroR with her story Mist of Memories and RoseDragonWitch's glorious work, Warm Memories and Brotherly Bonds along with its sequel, Towering Memories and Treasured Dreams. If any of you guys happen to stumble upon this fanfic, which let's be honest it'd be by chance XD, thanks for being inspirations for this story of mine and hopefully my story lives up to the awesome standards yours are all in! ^_^

However, I should point out, this story immediately picks up after the most recent Boruto Arc; the Time Slip arc, episodes 127-136 to be more specific, and so if you haven't watched those episodes, **PLEASE DO SO** as this story will make references to that arc quite a bit and so in order to avoid any potential confusion, I highly advise you all do so, that way there won't be any unnecessary confusion. Not to mention, it's honestly the best arc Boruto has had, at least thus far!

Okay, now with all that said and done, let the story begin already! ^_^

* * *

Boruto Uzumaki laid atop of his bed as he stared at the ceiling of his room. It had been a week since his battle and subsequent defeat of the tyrannical Urashiki who belonged to the legendary Otsutsuki Clan.

However unlike previous missions, his mission to defeat the Otsutsuki had been one not many ninja could ever hope to dream about. It was a literal battle against time as the Otsutsuki had managed to actually go back in time using an ancient relic of his clan, the turtle-like artifact called Karasuki, in hopes of retrieving the Nine Tailed Fox from Naruto when he was still a young and inexperienced Genin.

Wanting to thwart his nefarious plans, Boruto and his master, Sasuke Uchiha, had followed after the villain in order to make sure his goal would not come to fruition. However, to say things had turned awkward would be the understatement of the entire Ninja World. Boruto had literally found himself face to face with the preteen version of his father who Boruto quickly realized who, unlike the adult version was pragmatic, rational and wise, the younger version of Naruto was loud-mouthed, brash and overall reckless. Sasuke, on the other hand, had it potentially worse as he had to deal with the younger version of his future wife, Sakura Haruno, who was adamant, if not vicious, in her questions about his identity, mainly due to an error on his part of letting a letter his daughter Sarada had written for him.

However, with the help of Naruto's late master in Jiraiya, the quartet were able to defeat the villainous Otsutsuki with Boruto having an even greater understanding of his father due to what he learned in his small trip to the past. Through it he learned even more of his father's flaws and insecurities stemming from his craving for Acknowledge and his dealing of the villagers' harsh treatment of him due to being the container of the Nine Tailed Fox.

Boruto smiled as he turned to the eaten ramen cup on his stand.

"_Here's a little parting gift! Whoa there, don't open it yet. Save the surprise for later!" The younger version of Naruto had told Boruto as he handed Boruto a moderately sized package wrapped in a green cloth. _

"Should've known it'd be ramen." Boruto mused before licking his lips, "Although it was pretty tasty."

Boruto then chuckled remembering his friends' reactions of his literal voyage through time.

Denki had nearly fainted from shock and even nearly broke his portable laptop as a result whereas Iwabe had nearly choked out Boruto as he cursed him for not having him meet his "Idol Naruto!" though the blonde was quick to point out he was nowhere close to him at the time. Still didn't stop Iwabe from being pissed though. Metal Lee was on Boruto like Cheese on Macaroni, asking if his father in the past had the same flames of youth that he had in the present with Boruto muttering a nervous "Yeah" before quickly scattering off.

Namida and Wasabi were quick to scoff and laugh, saying how it sounded like a fanmade story or something out of a manga while Sumire had swooned, saying how it would've been cool to meet "Lord Seventh" in his youth.

Shikadai was quick to joke and make a crack at how much of a "drag" it must've been having to not restrict contact with the younger versions of his parents as that would've been a once in a lifetime opportunity while Inojin thought it would've been nice to come along as he could've drawn a nice drawing to commemorate the experience whereas Chocho walked off in disinterest.

His sensei Konohamaru had blushed in embarrassment when Boruto had described the younger version of himself as a "little shrimp" leading to the older ninja reprimanding Boruto with how much of a "badass ninja" he had become since the old days, leading to Boruto giving him a blank expression. With Sarada, knowing how shaky her relationship with Sasuke used to be along with how far along they've come along in their relationship, he decided not to mention how Sasuke had deserted the village while Mitsuki had joked about the idea of meeting with his father as Boruto responded how they hadn't come in contact with Orochimaru not even once in the past.

Boruto then looked down at his palm at the diamond like symbol, a testament of the day where his relationship with his father had changed forever.

"_When you have time, instead of lecturing me, I want you to tell me stories from your past!" Boruto grinned as he extended his hand to his father after saving him from having his Tailed Beast extracted as Naruto was quick to reciprocate the gesture with a smile of his own as he vowed to oblige Boruto's request._

A year had passed since then and Boruto's curiosity of his father's past and how he came to become the man he is today, hadn't wavered in the slightest. Rather, it had gotten stronger. Especially with Boruto's recent vacation into the past.

"_He's always straightforward. He had a habit of saying, 'I never go back on my word, that's my ninja way!' And true to his word, he always forged ahead and never gave up. He valued his friends and would do anything to protect them and he was never dishonest with his words." _The words of Hinata rang through Boruto's mind as he walked through his house before making his way to the living room where several pictures of his father hung, one of which standing out. This being a picture of him, Shikamaru wearing a Chunin Vest, Choji, Kiba, Neji and Rock Lee all smiling at the camera.

"I wonder…..how such a good for nothing idiot grew to being a well-respected leader?" Boruto questioned himself as he scanned over the pictures of Naruto in his youth and compared them to the pictures of him as an adult with Hinata, Boruto and his younger sister, Hanabi.

Shaking his head, Boruto put on his standard black jacket with pink stripes before walking out of his house.

* * *

"I wish…there was a way I could see dad's past somehow…." Boruto muttered as he walked through the village, not even craving a spicy burger like he normally would. While he could always hear about Naruto's past through stories he could tell, he was a fan of "show don't tell" and given that he had seen snippets of Naruto's memories through his combined rasengan he shared with Naruto in order to defeat Momoshiki, although the flashes of memories passed as quickly as they came, he wished there was a way he could see the entire journey of Naruto Uzumaki from start to finish.

"If only…there was a jutsu of some kind that I could use…" Boruto sat down on a park bench as he put his chin on his hands as he puffed his cheeks in thought before a light bulb appeared over Boruto's head.

"Wait a second!" Boruto's eyes widened.

"A jutsu that I could use?" Boruto pondered as he remembered his father's words about jutsu that were in the library of the Hokage Tower; forbidden jutsu that were in scrolls.

"Hey…I've got it! I can find a scroll or something that can possibly let me see dad's past!" Boruto pumped his fists as he thought of the best plan in the history of all plans; go into the Hokage Building when his father wasn't in there and go snoop around before finding a jutsu that could perhaps help aid him in his quest of possibly going and seeing his father's memories.

"That sounds great! And the best part? I have no missions with Big Bro Konohamaru today to get in the way!" Boruto grinned as he pumped his fist before making his way to the Hokage Building.

Boruto then made his way to where Naruto's office was before passing a quick glance in there; thankful that he wasn't in there. After Boruto's return from the past, Naruto made it a habit to visit the grave of his fallen master Jiraiya more frequently.

"Okay then, past-memory scroll, let's find ya!" Boruto pumped his fist in his palm as he made his way to the Hokage Library where all the various different scrolls in the village were located.

"Alright, let's find it!" Boruto smirked, ready to find the scroll that could potentially help him in his goal of seeing Naruto's past memories.

…

"What the hell!? I can't find anything!?" Boruto exclaimed with frustrated eyes as a harsh sweat broke down his face. He had been in there for a total of four hours and had found jack diddly squat.

And to say the Hokage Library room was now a mess would be an understatement.

Various papers and scrolls were scattered and thrown across around the room; the Library now resembling that of a college student's dorm room during Finals' week.

Boruto grit his teeth as he rubbed his head in frustration.

"You can't tell me it's this hard to find a scroll that can let me see someone's past!" Boruto growled as he groaned in irritation.

If some talking mechanical turtle could take him back to the past, surely there could be something that could let someone see someone's past memories!

"C'mon, ya know!" Boruto growled as he actually found himself miss-stepping as he fell onto the table behind him.

"Oh crap!" Boruto growled before he fell headfirst onto the floor below with the table following suit.

"Ugh….damn it…" Boruto muttered, rubbing his sore nose before feeling something hit his head.

"What's this?" Boruto asked, looking at the scroll before raising an eyebrow at the name.

"The Lost Scroll…of Anamnesis?" Boruto tilted his head in confusion before unfurling it and reading the contents of the scroll before his eyes came across a jutsu that made his eyes widen in excitement.

"Ninja Art…Mind's Eye…..Surveying Jutsu?" Boruto's eyes nearly bulged from their skull as he continued reading the scroll for the schematics of the jutsu.

"Let's see…..upon usage of the below shown sealing ninja tag, one can use this jutsu to view into any past memories of whatever target they choose….Also more than one person is around, they must conjure the same seals as the one initiating the jutsu before grabbing hold of the jutsu caster if they desire to view the same memories….jackpot!" Boruto cheered, not even bothering to read the rest, as it turned out the last four hours of his life weren't a complete waste.

"And the best thing? Mom and Himawari aren't even gonna be home this weekend so it's just me alone with dad! Heh, all I gotta do is wait until nightfall, when he's out, I'll use this scroll of Anamnesis!" Boruto cheered as it looked like his plan was one hundred percent fool proof! Nothing could stop him!

However before he could initiate his grand plan….

"Oh right, gotta clean this room. Don't wanna get in trouble with the old man, after all!" Boruto laughed as he quickly got to cleaning the mess he caused.

* * *

Within thirty minutes, he was out of the Hokage monument as he happily ran through the village.

"Hehe, my plan to see dad's past is gonna come to life tonight!" Boruto excitedly giggled, excited at the thought of seeing everything his father went through in his life.

However, he was so excited he didn't notice the people he was coming up on.

"Ouch! Damn it! Why don't you watch where you're going!?" Boruto spat.

"Speak for yourself, idiot!" Sarada chided as Boruto's eyes widened.

'Oh crap.' Boruto thought as his thoughts immediately went to the scroll.

'The scroll! I can't let them know!' Boruto mentally face-palmed as he looked to see Sarada shooting him the usual scowl of irritancy and disdain that she typically had with him. However, her annoyed look evaporated to one of curiosity as she saw Boruto desperately trying to pocket something.

"What do you have in your hand?" Sarada asked as Boruto's eyes nearly popped from their skull.

"…O-oh! Uh…nothing…." Boruto lamely lied as Sarada immediately knew Boruto was full of it.

"Oh yeah?" Sarada mockingly raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah! It's nothing so…" Boruto tried hiding his scroll in his jacket before….

"The Lost Scroll of Anamnesis?" Mitsuki questioned, as Boruto and Sarada could only wonder how he took it from his hands without him noticing.

"How the!?" Boruto asked as Mitsuki chuckled.

"I am a ninja. Did you forget?" Mitsuki tilted his head as Boruto sighed.

"You really are something…..I guess I can't hide anything from you guys. Come with me." Boruto gestured to the Great Stone Hokage Faces, which was the unofficial meeting spot of Team Konohamaru.

"And that's what I plan on doing." Boruto explained the whole situation to his teammates in less than five minutes and their reactions were…somewhat of what he expected?

"Well that sounds interesting, Boruto. For a lack of better terms, anyways." Mitsuki joked as Sarada shot him a disbelieving stare.

"Okay I'm sure this crosses the line into going overboard. Hearing about old war stories is one thing but to actually go into Lord Seventh's memories and watch his memories without his consent?" Sarada crossed her arms as Boruto glared at her.

"And it's not like dad'll just let me do so if I say, 'Hey dad! I snooped around in the Hokage Library and found a scroll that'd let me see your memories. Can I do it? Sure, son!'" Boruto scoffed at Sarada like she was crazy, only serving to irritate her further.

"This is a serious invasion of privacy, you idiot!" Sarada snapped.

"Oh? So you mean you wouldn't be not curious as to what dad went through?" Boruto asked as Sarada found herself quickly shutting up at that question. Naruto was a man she deeply admired and she would often wonder from time to time about what caused him to become the man she knew and idolized.

"….Okay…now that you mention it…I'm kinda curious…." Sarada muttered, confusing Boruto.

"Huh?" Boruto asked.

"If that scroll will let you see Lord Seventh as a kid, then I can possibly see my dad as a kid too then! I think that'd be interesting!" Sarada beamed as Mitsuki seemed to be genuinely happy for Sarada.

Boruto on the other hand looked a bit uncomfortable. He remembered Naruto's words about how Sasuke had deserted the village and he feared that if she found out, he might inadvertedly shatter their rather shaky relationship.

Hey, despite all their arguing, he did care somewhat for her. Somewhat.

"Uh….I'm not sure if that's such a good idea." Boruto weakly muttered as Sarada's expression showed she was less than amused.

"And why the hell not?" Sarada glared at Boruto who started to break out into a nervous sweat.

"…N-no reason! It's just…" Boruto awkwardly tried to explain as Sarada gave him a look of utter consternation.

"But what?" Sarada asked as Boruto sweated even harder.

'How can I tell her that her dad went rogue when he was our age!?' Boruto thought before he assume a forced smile.

"Uh…well….you didn't sound interested earlier…" Boruto tried to pass off though Sarada would hear none of it.

"That was before I realized it was a way to see Papa's past!" Sarada gleamed as Boruto felt his lips dry up.

"But…." Boruto tried arguing before Sarada gave him a look that shut him up.

"I'm going, end of story." Sarada said, the tone of her voice ending whatever argument she intended to have with Boruto.

"And I'm going to accompany Sarada too. It sounds fun!" Mitsuki grinned as Boruto could only sigh in defeat.

Hopefully….Sarada wouldn't hate him for this later.

"…Fine…" Boruto relented in defeat.

"And when were you planning on doing this?" Mitsuki asked.

"Around nine or ten o clock at night when dad's asleep." Boruto answered.

"What about your mom or Himawari?" Sarada questioned as Boruto smiled.

"Oh they're gonna be gone for the weekend. They have a meeting with the Hyugas." Boruto shrugged as both Sarada and Mitsuki seemed satisfied with that information.

"Okay then, we'll be at your house between nine and ten." Mitsuki said.

"Alright then, it's a date!" Boruto grinned as they all put their hands in the center before raising them.

* * *

At around nine forty five at night, Naruto was asleep in the bed he shared with Hinata as he let out several loud snores. It turns out all the paperwork Naruto did had really wore out the hero of the Fourth Great Ninja War.

"Geesh, where are those guys?" Boruto grumbled to himself as he crossed his arms while waiting outside.

"Hello." Mitsuki smiled as he pat Boruto's shoulder, nearly making him jump off his feet.

"Mitsuki! Don't do that, ya know!" Boruto chided his friend who merely smiled in response.

"So sorry, Boruto." Mitsuki smiled as Sarada sighed.

"Boys." Sarada shook her head.

"So is he ready?" Mitsuki asked.

"Yeah. And don't worry about being too noisy in the house, dad's a pretty heavy sleeper." Boruto laughed as he opened the door, letting his teammates in.

Naruto continued slumbering like a baby as Team Konohamaru made their way into his room.

"Wow, he really is a heavy sleeper…" Sarada blinked.

"I wonder how much booze he could hold." Mitsuki pondered, not even noticing the bizarre expressions his teammates were shooting him.

"Alright, well let's get started!" Boruto smiled as he unfurled the scroll before setting it on Naruto's bedside.

As Sarada and Mitsuki looked over Boruto's shoulder, they noticed the tag tucked at the end of the scroll.

"A tag with the Kanji for 'Memory'?" Mitsuki asked, handing it to Boruto.

"Oh I see! Thanks, Mitsuki!" Boruto said as he looked over the contents of the scroll.

"Okay….to start, apply the seal with the word for 'Memory', onto the forehead of your target." Boruto said as he gently placed the seal on Naruto's forehead.

"Next, make the appropriate hand signs." Boruto's eyes followed down the page to where he and his team saw the necessary hand signs for the jutsu.

"Okay!" Boruto said as he and his team made the appropriate hand signs.

"Ninja Art! Mind's Eye Surveying Jutsu!" Boruto yelled as he slammed his palm onto Naruto's forehead with the tag on top.

Before the team of Genin knew anything, a bluish-purple fog like mist started to emit from Naruto's head as it surrounded Team Konohamaru.

"Whoa!" Boruto exclaimed as it started to slowly surround the three.

"What is this!?" Sarada remarked, astonished at how thick the foggy mist was.

"It must be what's going to take us into Lord Seventh's mind." Mitsuki surmised.

"I think so too so hold on!" Boruto said, holding his hands out as his team tightly grasped his palms as the mist started to slowly envelope the three children completely as their bodies were completely encased in the mist until nothing of the three remained.

…Nothing but the open scroll on the floor of Naruto and Hinata's bed room…..

* * *

And there's the first chapter for you guys! I gotta say I'm **REALLY** excited for this project and I hope you all will enjoy this story of mine! ^_^

I have a question for you readers. Should I cover the stuff that happens in the Blank Period as well as the events in The Last or do you all want me to just end the memory viewing after the events of Chapter 699/Episode 479?

In any case, how is the story so far? Did it start out pretty good? Please let me know your thoughts how the story is and also please let me know what memories you all wanna see!

And with all that said Chapter 2 will be coming out Monday December 23rd so kindly expect it then! ^_^

Later guys and a **VERY** Merry Christmas! ^_^


	2. Birth of a Hero

Hello, everyone!

I'm happy you all enjoyed the first chapter and I'm sure you all will be pleased to know the memory watching starts in this chapter! I hope this chapter meets all your expectations!

And without further ado, onwards to the chapter~! ^_^

* * *

As the foggy mist finishing consuming the three genin, the three ninja opened their eyes to find themselves in a pitch black tunnel.

"Ugh…unh…." Boruto moaned as he opened his eyes.

"Well…that was certainly something…" Sarada muttered rubbing her eyes. Oddly enough, Mitsuki seemed to have come across that experience the least affected.

"Where…are we?" Mitsuki asked as Boruto and Sarada looked across the room, equally as confused.

"Dunno." Boruto tilted his head as he started to walk around the room.

"Do you think the jutsu worked?" Sarada asked.

"It must have if it was a lost scroll." Mitsuki remarked as Boruto's eyes widened in dread.

"Oh crap! Where is it!? Where the hell is that scroll!?" Boruto yelled as Sarada immediately ran to clamp her hands over her idiotic teammate's mouth.

"Shut up, you idiot! What if someone hears us!?" Sarada chided her teammate.

"But if it's a memory, who cares, right? Now lemme go, ya know!" Boruto wheezed as Mitsuki immediately got in between the two.

"Both of you, enough." Mitsuki said, separating the two.

"Ugh, what am I gonna do with you?" Sarada groaned as Boruto rubbed his sore neck.

"I can say the same to you, ya know." Boruto moaned, glaring at Sarada.

However before anymore arguing could occur between the two, several footsteps got the attention of the three.

"Oh crap!" Boruto pointed as he and his team noticed several people wearing medical garb running to the three of them.

"Were we spotted?" Mitsuki raised an eyebrow as Sarada could immediately tell they were in trouble.

"Hold on, medical ninjas! We mean you all no harm!" Sarada tried to reason as they appeared not to hear her. However…that was the least of Team Konohamaru's worry as much to their shock…..

The medical ninjas passed right through the three of them, almost as if they were ghosts!

Team Konohamaru, even Mitsuki, could only stare with their expressions being dumbfounded.

"Uh…what…just happened?" Boruto blinked.

"Wait a second…I think I realized something. If this is a memory that means that since this is something that's already happened, the people in the memory can't see us or interact with us." Mitsuki theorized as he walked forward to press his hand through the wall only for it to pass through.

"Wait a second, you mean like we're ghosts!?" Boruto cheesed as Sarada cringed.

"….That's….kinda creepy…" Sarada muttered as Boruto had sparkles in his eyes.

"That's so cool! I've kinda wondered how it'd be being a ghost!" Boruto laughed as Sarada smacked Boruto's skull.

"Chill out and act your age for once!" Sarada chided as Boruto glared at her.

"Listen you, you can't be smacking me around forever!" Boruto argued as Sarada waved him off.

"In any case, where's Lord Seventh?" Sarada asked.

Almost as if the memory heard her….

"IT HURTS YA KNOW!" A loud feminine voice echoed through the hallway, as if the memory itself decided to answer the Uchiha.

Team Konohamaru's eyes widened at the familiar saying, however.

"Wait a second, did she just say 'Ya Know'?" Boruto asked as that was a term only he and his father used.

"I think so!" Sarada added.

"Let's go see who or where that came from." Mitsuki said as he ran down the dark hallway to where the light at the end of the hallway was with his teammates trailing behind him.

As they reached where the light was, the team of three entered a room with candles lit along the entire room with several doctors lined in the room.

However, what caught their attention was a man with spiky blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes.

"Wait a second! D-Dad!?" Boruto yelped, running to the man.

"No way! Lord Seventh?" Sarada blinked as she followed with Mitsuki.

However as they got a better look at the man, they saw it wasn't Naruto.

"That isn't Lord Seventh." Sarada blinked.

"You're right, it's the Fourth Hokage!" Mitsuki remarked, not believing his eyes as he remembered the pictures Orochimaru showed him of the late Minato Namikaze.

"Yeah, I remember seeing the pictures dad kept of him in his office! So this is my grandpa, huh?" Boruto remarked, his eyes literally sparkling at the sight of the young man. If his dad was an uber powerful ninja, Boruto could only wonder how strong of a man his grandfather was.

"No freaking way!" Sarada remarked, amazed at the sight of the legend she had heard legends about. The fact that someone like Naruto was related to a previous Hokage didn't surprise the young Uchiha. She supposed family greatness was inherited. At least that's how it was with her and Sasuke, anyways.

While he had Naruto's spiky blonde hair and deep blue eyes, the team were quick to note his eyes were more narrowed than Naruto's wide eyes and his facial features were different.

"Huh, he doesn't really look that much like Lord Hokage when you look at him closely…" Mitsuki observed.

"I….guess you have a point?" Sarada tilted her head. Although his hair was longer than the current Naruto's and his eyes were more narrowed, she could see that the Naruto that she knew had Minato's more mature appearance.

"Not to mention…I can see where Lord Seventh gets his blue eyes from." Sarada remarked with a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Oh cry me a river, if you love him so much, why don't you marry him?" Boruto snorted as Sarada growled.

"Oh shut up!" Sarada flared her nostrils as she gave Boruto a hard hit to his skull, leaving a huge lump on his skull.

"Ouch! Ugh…when are you gonna stop hitting me?" Boruto moaned as Sarada scoffed.

"Whenever you grow up." Sarada scowled at her teammate.

Before Mitsuki could act as the mediator for his teammates, he noticed the woman whom Minato loomed over with his hand on her stomach. The woman had long red hair with a black hairclip in her head, although her eyes were clenched closed and she was covered in sweat as she grimaced about as if she were in pain.

"I wonder who this broad is?" Boruto raised an eyebrow as Sarada fought off the instinct to reprimand her teammate for his rude use of the term "broad".

"I dunno but she looks beautiful!" Sarada exclaimed, despite the woman being covered in more sweat than an Akimichi after they finished running.

"She looks like she's in pain." Mitsuki noted.

"Yeah she looks like me that time I drunk expired milk, haha." Boruto joked as Sarada slapped Boruto upside the bump on his noggin, igniting a jolt of pain through the bump.

"Time and place!" Sarada spat, ignoring Boruto's cries of pain.

"But wait a second, if Lord Fourth is here, then where's Lord Seventh?" Sarada asked as Boruto immediately started looking around.

"Yeah, I'm wondering that too," Boruto wondered, turning his head left and right in an attempt to locate his father.

"I've never seen Kushina in so much pain that she's out like this. I-is she really gonna be okay!?" The voice of Minato Namikaze asked, ending the conversation between Team Konohamaru as they all ceased their talking as they gathered around to listen. Minato was sweating just as, if not more than Kushina, as his facial expressions screamed "I'm nervous! Help me!"

"So that's how grandpa sounds, huh? I wonder why dad's balls never dropped." Boruto asked, slightly amused that unlike his dad's, his grandpa seemed to have reached puberty.

"I wonder why he looks so nervous like he's about to jump out of his skin…." Sarada asked, not even bothering to dignify Boruto's statement.

"I suppose we'll find out soon." Mitsuki said before he suddenly had an epiphany. Before he could tell his teammates what was on his mind, a voice cut him off.

"Yes, she's going to be fine. Now forget about that and just stay focused on the Nine Tails' Seal." A woman with long brown hair reminded Minato in annoyance. This woman was Biwako Sarutobi, the late wife of the late Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Her statement astonished Team Konohamaru.

"Wait a second, did she just say Nine Tails Seal?" Sarada asked.

"So there was someone else before dad?" Boruto asked.

"It would appear so." Mitsuki furrowed his brow.

Minato only frowned in concern for his wife.

"Okay…but she's so…" Minato muttered as Biwako looked like she was at her wits end with Minato.

"You're the Fourth Hokage, Minato. Now act like it and get a grip! Most men would've dropped dead from such pain long ago. But women are stronger!" Biwako chided Minato as the team's eyes widened as they realized what was happening with the pained Kushina.

"Wait, it looks like she's in childbirth!" Sarada noted in realization, remembering the times she would see her mom performing such experiments.

"And if she's in childbirth with Lord Fourth then…." Mitsuki added as Boruto's eyes grew as wide as plates.

"This woman must be my grandma!" Boruto shouted pointing at the pained Kushina who only continued to scream.

"It would appear so!" Mitsuki noted.

"Whoa….no kidding….this Kushina lady is Boruto's grandma, huh?" Sarada muttered, wondering if this woman was Boruto's grandmother, then who was her grandmother?

However the Team soon noticed the seal on Kushina's stomach was starting to morph, almost as if it was starting to open.

"Uh oh, it looks like the seal's going to be undone." Mitsuki narrowed his eyes.

"But why are they getting so bent out of shape? With all of the Kurama dolls nowadays, I thought he was always big and popular." Boruto said.

"Idiot, this must've been before people knew that the Nine Tails was on Lord Seventh's side." Sarada shook her head at Boruto's stupidity.

Before Boruto could argue, he remembered Jiraiya's words about how the Nine Tails attacked the Leaf Village.

"_Long ago, the Nine Tails attacked the village." _Jiraiya told Naruto, following Naruto's attack on him during a scuffle with Urashiki who nearly succeeded in stealing the Nine Tails from Naruto.

"He's so strong….The Nine Tails is writhing to get out…..Tch! Hang in there, Kushina! Naruto, come on!" Minato stated, ready to assist his wife in any way he could.

"No way! We're gonna see dad's birth!" Boruto's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets at the thought. Never in a million years did he'd ever think he would see the birth of his father.

"The birth of Lord Seventh?" Sarada blinked. She was both curious and slightly weirded out at the opportunity.

"I only wish I had a camera of some kind to film Boruto's reaction." Mitsuki joked with a laugh as Boruto blushed, realizing how lame he sounded.

"Hey, now!" Boruto yelled as Sarada got in between the two.

"Now, now." Sarada said as everyone calmed down, the three crowding around Kushina like a group having a group meeting.

Kushina only continued writhing in pain as Boruto frowned, feeling sympathy for his grandmother.

"C'mon grandma! You can do it!" Boruto chanted as he tried grabbing her hand in an effort to calm her nerves only to slip through it.

"What the?" Boruto asked.

"Like I theorized, since this is an event that's already happened, we can't do anything to change it." Mitsuki said to his friend who growled in frustration.

"Damn it! This is bad…..because Jiraiya said if the beast leaves the body or if it's extracted, people who hold the Tailed Beasts in them die!" Boruto clenched his forehead in frustration as Mitsuki's and Sarada's eyes widened at this revelation.

"Are you serious!?" Sarada demanded more than asked.

"Yeah. He might be goofy and perverted but even he knows what he's talking about!" Boruto noted as Sarada and Mitsuki were speechless.

"I wonder…is this how Lady Kushina died?" Mitsuki put his hand to his chin in thought.

"What're you saying!?" Boruto growled.

"If what you said is true then maybe that's what led to the Nine Tails attacking the village like Lord Jiraiya said." Sarada theorized.

"Whatever the case, something tells me we're gonna see what happened whether we like it or not." Mitsuki's eyes narrowed.

"C'mon, grandma! Don't lose, ya know!" Boruto yelled. Even though his grandmother couldn't hear him, he at least wanted to do something; support her in any way he could if he could. Do anything to ease her pain.

"I can see the head now. You're almost there, Kushina!" Biwako told her head in an attempt to encourage her to finish the birth.

"Just hang in there. You're doing great!" A random nurse added.

"Naruto, hurry up! Come out! You stay in, Nine Tails!" Minato closed his eyes.

Eventually Kushina's screams began to wane as the cry of a newborn baby rang through the air.

"Hot water! Now!" Biwako commanded the nurse.

"Right!" The nurse said as she ran to fetch a bucket of hot water along with other cleaning items.

Team Konohamaru were nothing short of speechless at the sight of the newborn baby before the infant was cleaned, disinfected and wrapped in an orange blanket.

They quietly walked up to the infant as they all took a good look at the newborn version of Naruto Uzumaki.

"D-dad….." Boruto remarked, the corners of his mouth lifting upwards into a smile. He couldn't believe it as he watched his newborn future father cry as he took his first breaths into the world.

This tiny baby…..would grow up to be his lame but badass father who was regarded as an international, global scale hero?

"I really wish I had a phone here so I could snap a picture Boruto's face." Mitsuki joked, although this time, Boruto was paying the son of Orochimaru no mind.

"T-this is…" Boruto teared up as he felt proud tears prickle his eyes. The fact this innocent little baby grows up to become a hero made Boruto felt pride….pride for his father…

Sarada put a comforting hand on Boruto's shoulder as she smiled at him before smiling softly at the newborn Naruto who continued crying.

This newborn baby was her idol….her hero who she idolized….

"How precious." Sarada smiled as she held out her arms to hold the baby Naruto Uzumaki only for arms to pass right through him.

"Memory, remember?" Mitsuki reminded Sarada who blushed in embarrassment before sighing.

"Man…this makes me feel…so good for some reason. I….can't explain it." Boruto smiled, wiping his eyes as a thought suddenly came to him.

"Wait, if dad doesn't have the Nine Tails in his yet, why does he have whisker marks?" Boruto pondered as Sarada and Mitsuki wondered the same thing too.

"You know, that's a good question." Sarada furrowed her brow in thought before Mitsuki came up with something.

"If…Lady Kushina had to carry the Nine Tails within her as well as carry Lord Seventh, maybe his whiskers came as some sort of side effect along with that?" Mitsuki theorized as his teammates looked at him.

"I…guess that makes sense?" Sarada asked as Boruto tilted his head, seeming somewhat satisfied with Mitsuki's theory.

"I gotta ask dad when we get out of here." Boruto told himself more than he told his teammates.

However, if Team Konohamaru were amazed at the sight of a newborn Naruto, their reaction was paltry compared to Naruto's parents.

Kushina let several tears fall from her eyes, all out of either relief from being done with the long and strenuous process of childbirth, exhaustion from bringing a baby into the world, realization that she was a mother or either happiness that her baby was into the world safe and sound.

Minato looked lost for words. Almost as if he took a step, he would shatter into a million pieces like a puzzle.

"…He's…really here…." Minato could barely get the words out as proud tears filled his eyes. He couldn't believe it. After twenty four years, he had found the love of his life and was now a father! The feeling of being a father now…he couldn't explain it. It was too much to simply put into words!

Minato teared up as he wiped his eyes before donning a very happy father.

"Today….I'm a father!" Minato smiled through his tears. Although Team Konohamaru could only stare somberly at the man.

"…Yeah…but not for long…." Sarada muttered as the realization of Minato dying soon was enough to nearly bring her to tears.

"….Especially because Grandpa Minato was dead by the time dad was a kid…." Boruto teared up.

"…I…can only wonder what caused the deaths of Lord Fourth and his wife?" Mitsuki pondered as both Boruto and Sarada were curious as to what could have caused their ultimate demises.

"Yes, you've got a healthy baby boy, Minato." Biwako smiled tenderly at the sight of the newborn Naruto as she steadily made her way over to where Minato and Kushina were.

"Naruto!" Minato grinned, eager to hold his son although Biwako was quick to jerk him from Minato's grip.

"Hands off you! Mother first, father second!" Biwako scowled, disregarding Minato's look of disappointment and defeat although the nurse seemed apologetic as she sent Minato an apologetic glance.

Team Konohmaru found this funny however as they snickered uncontrollably.

"Okay that was messed up but really funny." Sarada laughed.

"Poor grandpa!" Boruto snickered.

"I really wish I had a phone so I can snap Lord Fourth's face right now." Mitsuki chuckled.

"….Okay…." Minato muttered, secretly wishing she would get this out of the way so he could hold his son. He was his father for god's sake!

Kushina weakly turned her head as Naruto was put by her side as she gave him a warm, tender smile.

"Naruto…we finally meet….." Kushina smiled as her tears hit Naruto's face.

"That's so sweet…the love of a mother is really something…" Sarada wiped her eyes as she immediately thought back to the time when she was sick and Sakura stayed by her side all day and night.

Boruto could say nothing as he couldn't stop himself from crying. The scene was too heartwarming and sweet.

"Are you crying, Boruto?" Mitsuki teased as Boruto blushed.

"N-no way! I-I just got something in my eye!" Boruto lied as his teammates laughed at Boruto's reaction. He might act all tough but inside he's such a softie. His interactions with Himawari prove it, after all.

Much to Minato's relief, he was finally given his son.

Minato could only stare at his son with eyes as wide as saucers as he could hardly breathe.

"…N-Naruto….my son….." Was all Minato could say as Naruto continued wailing in Minato's arms.

"H-hey there…little guy…." Minato nervously said as the Team could tell this was one of the scariest moments in Minato's life. Heck, he had lived through the Third Great Ninja War and was credited with defeating over a thousand Shinobi yet the birth of his own son was enough to give him chills?

"I-I'm…a father…I'm a father now!" Minato repeated as proud tears coursed down his cheeks. He was going to give this child all he needed and deserved and would give his own life for him if need be.

"Naruto….as your father, I promise to always keep you safe." Minato promised through his tears.

Kushina, Biwako and the nurse weren't that far off from being teary themselves along with the majority of Team Konohamaru.

Although….unlike the three women whose tears were from happiness, Boruto and Sarada's were from sadness as they knew in the end, Minato and Kushina wouldn't be around to raise their son.

The only question is….how?

Biwako smiled at Minato before she gingerly took Naruto from Minato's arms.

"There, there…you'll have more time later. There, there my child." Biwako smiled as she held Naruto in an attempt to get him to stop crying.

Minato walked to his wife before putting a comforting hand on hers.

"Kushina…are you feeling alright now?" Minato asked, giving his wife a smile that reminded Boruto and Sarada of the warm, gently smiles they would see Naruto and Sasuke give their respective wives. The smiles that showed how much the women meant to the global scale heroes.

"I'm okay…" Kushina weakly smiled back as she looked into the deep sapphire eyes of her husband. Right then and there, Team Konohmaru could tell the two genuinely loved each other.

"Thank you." Minato gave his wife a warm, gentle smile as she looked at her husband with a look equivalent to a woman after being proposed to.

"Minato…." Kushina smiled through whatever tears were left.

"Aww…that's so sweet! Kind of like how dad and mom are." Sarada smiled as her hands went to her forehead, remembering how Sasuke poked her forehead before leaving after the whole Shin clone incident.

"It really is heartwarming." Mitsuki cheerfully smiled.

"I wish I could meet my grandparents! I can't wait to learn more about them!" Boruto grinned, hoping these memories would shed some light onto more about his grandparents.

"Alright! Now I realize what you've just been through but we need to reseal the Nine Tails!" Minato pumped his fist before assuming a hand over Kushina's seal.

"Hell yeah!" Boruto pumped his own fist in his palm.

However, before things could get too happy, pained screams filled the air.

Team Konohamaru turned their heads only to find, Biwako and the nurse who helped deliver Naruto lying on the floor in pools of blood that only seemed to get bigger and bigger….It was obvious the two were dead along with the other nurses and doctors who were stationed in the room.

"What the hell!?" Boruto demanded more than ask.

"How did that happen!?" Sarada asked, wondering what could have happened.

"It's because of him." Mitsuki's eyes narrowed as he pointed behind Boruto and Sarada.

Boruto and Sarada turned around to see a man clothed in a dark black cloak with an orange mask with black flames.

"Who the hell is that!?" Sarada pointed, wondering how someone like that could've gotten in undetected.

"Something tells me, we'll be finding out soon…." Mitsuki answered.

"And what the hell is he holding!?" Boruto yelled, noticing in his hands was the infant version of his father!

"Lady Biwako! Taji!" Minato yelled.

"Fourth Hokage, Minato. Step away from the Jinchuuriki or else this child will die in its first minute." The masked man warned, his voice very deep and gruff and sending a chill down the spines of Boruto and Sarada.

"Bastard!" Boruto yelled, summoning a Shadow Clone as he charged at the masked creep only for him to phase right through.

"Hey what the hell? Why can't I do anything!?" Boruto growled in frustration at this bastard. How could anyone be as sick in the head as to threaten a helpless baby!?

"Lord Seventh!" Sarada yelled as she threw one of her own Kunai that also phased through the masked man.

"Like I said, since it's a memory of events that have already happened, we can't interfere." Mitsuki reminded his teammates who only growled in frustration.

This was frustrating. Naruto as a baby was in danger, not even ten minutes after being born, and all they could do was stand there and watch?

"How the hell did he get past the barrier? Who…who is he!?" Minato took a step forward, ready to save his son only for Kushina to grit her teeth in pain.

"Grandma!" Boruto yelled, turning his attention to Kushina.

"What's wrong!?" Sarada asked.

"The seal's acting up again." Mitsuki answered as he pointed to the black spot in Kushina's stomach as it started to bulge upwards like a bubble.

"Kushina!" Minato turned his head to his wife in concern. Although this did nothing to deter the masked man.

"Get away from the Jinchuuriki. Don't you care what happens to the brat?" The masked man demanded, pulling out a Kunai, which only ignited Boruto's fury more. How dare he!?

"You bastard! Let him go!" Boruto yelled, summoning a vanishing Rasengan as he threw it at the man only for it to go right through him.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Boruto yelled.

"I know how you're feeling…how can anyone be so psychotic to threaten an innocent baby?" Sarada asked, just as disgusted.

"It can't be helped….This is the Shinobi World after all." Mitsuki reminded his friends although his answer didn't seem to make the two feel any better.

"Yeah but…." Boruto was at a loss for words. Despite the trials he and his friends went through, they grew up in a relatively peaceful time. Their parents however grew up in a time of complete and utter turmoil.

"W-wait! Just stay calm!" Minato yelled, frantically waving his hands.

"Why doesn't he just go over there and knock his ass out!?" Boruto glared at Minato.

"It can't be helped….he has to make sure the Nine Tails doesn't come out of his wife because if that happens, everyone dies." Sarada replied, not liking the situation herself.

"Speak for yourself. I am as calm as can be, Minato." The masked man almost scoffed at Minato before throwing the helpless infant into the air.

"DAD!" Boruto yelled in panic and fear as he lunged at Naruto. Even if this was a memory, he didn't care. If he didn't act soon enough, he would lose his father!

"Lord Seventh!" Sarada yelled just as frantic as she also jumped at Naruto.

However, Mitsuki held them both back by stretching his arms.

"Mitsuki? What're you doing?" Sarada asked.

"Yeah! That's my dad!" Boruto glared at his friend who shook his head.

"Remember, this is an event that's already happened so we can't do anything to alter or change it." Mitsuki reminded his friends yet again as they grit their teeth in anger and frustration.

However, much to their relief, before the masked man could carve baby Naruto's brains out with the kunai, Minato appeared and caught Naruto in his arms, within the blink of an eye.

"Whoa! So fast!" Sarada noted.

"Yeah, he's just as fast as dad is!" Boruto pointed at his grandfather, amazed at Minato's speed as he remembered how fast Naruto was during Momoshiki's invasion.

"As expected from Lord Fourth." Mitsuki noted, impressed as he remembered Orochimaru stories about Minato being hailed as "The Yellow Flash of the Leaf".

"Leave it to the Yellow Flash of the Leaf." The masked man noted, slightly annoyed yet respectful.

"Yellow Flash?" Boruto asked.

"Indeed. It was said during the Third Great Ninja War, Minato Namikaze had been able to single handedly wipe out an entire army of a thousand Stone Village Shinobi. He was even given a flee on fight order." Mitsuki explained as Sarada and Boruto were in amazement at what they had heard.

"…No way….then again I guess if he's Lord Seventh's father….it's to be expected…" Sarada muttered.

"How big of a badass is my grandpa?" Boruto asked.

"But what about the next one?" The masked man asked, almost amused.

"What next one?" Sarada asked as the sounds of something about to be set off rang through the ears of the three genin.

"Don't tell me, paper bombs!" Boruto yelled out in frustration.

"Minato! Naruto!" Kushina yelled in fear of both her husband and newborn son.

Thankfully, Minato had enough initiative to remove the towel from baby Naruto. However, just as they teleported away, the house behind them blew up in a large explosion as the two landed in an open grass field with the light of the moon shining in the distance.

To say that Team Konohamaru was shocked by everything that just happened, was an understatement.

"What was all that Gramps was using?" Boruto asked to his teammates.

"That was Lord Fourth's teleportation ninjutsu." Mitsuki began.

"Teleportation Ninjutsu?" Sarada asked.

"It allowed him to move from Point A to Point B not in a second but in an instant and he could bring anything being weapons, tools, place or people be it that they were marked with his special seal and it often required a certain amount of chakra depending on the person. It was because of that he was hailed as the fastest shinobi in the history of the Shinobi World before his death and he could be undetected using only the Body Flicker technique and could cover a considerable distance within seconds." Mitsuki explained, much to Sarada and especially Boruto's amazement.

Despite the situation at hand, Boruto couldn't stop the broad grin from forming on his face.

"No way…my grandpa really is a badass!" Boruto grinned, wishing he could've met him at least once in his life.

"I wonder if Lord Seventh is even faster." Sarada stated, although this was accidental as she meant to think the question.

"Of course he is. He wouldn't have been the Seventh Hokage for nothing." Boruto stated as he couldn't believe Sarada would say something so ridiculous.

However, the sound of a baby crying interrupted any further power scaling discussions.

"Thank goodness, Naruto wasn't injured!" Minato noted, his face and voice full of relief.

"Heh well of course he wouldn't. He's dad after all." Boruto smirked as Sarada and Mitsuki smiled their agreement.

Minato however grimaced in pain as he noticed a small piece of wood wedged in the bottom part of his leg near his ankle.

"He forced me to use the Flying Raijin Jutsu…." Minato dimly noted, pulling out the blood covered piece of woo with little to no effort.

"Flying Raijin? Is that what he calls his Flying Raijin Jutsu?" Sarada asked her teammate.

"That's right." Mitsuki confirmed, "It was first created by the Second Hokage but the Fourth Hokage managed to hone the technique and its power." Mitsuki clarified.

"….Okay….how do you know so much?" Boruto tilted his head, this Sarada also needed answering.

"Hehe, well remember who my father is. He has his intel and research properly kept up to date. I suppose you could say I'm a Ninja Encyclopedia." Mitsuki smiled his usual smile.

"…..Uh….I guess so….." Sarada sweat dropped.

"Heh, so if we see anything that confuses us in these memories, we can just ask you!" Boruto laughed.

"I suppose you can." Mitsuki returned Boruto's jovial mood as Minato's eye narrowed.

"His target was Kushina and he succeeded in separating us. Gotta hurry!" Minato noted, throwing the bloody piece of wood in the air before teleporting with Naruto. Indirectly, he caused Team Konohamaru to teleport with him.

"Whoa, what was that!?" Boruto asked.

"I guess since these memories are from Lord Seventh's perspective, wherever he goes, we go to." Sarada theorized.

"Yes that seems most likely." Mitsuki agreed.

"That's…cool but freaky." Boruto noted as his teammates couldn't disagree with him.

Minato tucked in Naruto in his bed as he made sure Naruto was in deep and tight.

"You'll be safe here. Naruto, please be patient, okay? I have to go and rescue your mother, right now." Minato gave his son a gentle smile before fazing out of the room.

"It's kind of weird….leaving a baby all by himself." Sarada said.

"It can't be helped. Lady Kushina would die if he wasted time." Mitsuki stated as Boruto glared at Mitsuki.

"Saving dad is wasting time? And besides….it's not like it would've changed much because in the end…grandma and grandpa are both dead…." Boruto bitterly sighed.

"Boruto!" Sarada chided her teammate for his comment but Mitsuki put a hand on her shoulder.

"Dad…." Boruto frowned as he looked at his father's sleeping form.

"….I never thought his birth would've been so….much of a drag as Shikadai would've said…." Boruto stated, laughing mirthlessly as he was glad his future father had stopped crying.

"Yeah….to be held at kunai point when you're only a minute old…..it's maddening…" Sarada looked down.

"I hope grandpa kicks that masked guy's ass." Boruto growled, hating the fact that he couldn't do anything to help in this situation.

"We all want to do something to help." Mitsuki said, putting a comforting hand on Boruto's shoulder, making him smile slightly.

Before Boruto could say his thanks, Minato appeared in a flash with Kushina in his arms.

"Well he definitely kept true to the 'flash' in his name." Boruto muttered, wishing he could learn the Flying Raijin Jutsu. He wonder if his father had any of his grandfather's kunais.

"…Why?" Kushina asked, her voice raspy and weak.

"Nevermind…just be with Naruto." Minato smiled, although Team Konohamaru were quick to note it was completely forced.

Kushina let out quiet sobs as she cradled baby Naruto, holding him close to her forehead.

"This…..is so sad…." Sarada tried keeping her tears at bay as her heart went out to the mother of Naruto.

"Hold on…she looks so pale and weak….did that bastard….take the Nine Tails out of her?" Boruto gasped out in horror.

"….It would appear so…" Mitsuki solemnly nodded.

"Wait….if she lost the nine tails then…." Sarada gasped in horror as the implications of Boruto's earlier words hit her like a ton of bricks.

"That bastard! She's gonna die soon!" Boruto growled, feeling utter hatred for the masked man. Whoever the heck he was.

"It can't be…Lady Kushina…." Sarada frowned as Mitsuki donned a sorrow expression.

Minato donned the same expression as Mitsuki before his expression turned to that of righteous anger, as he knew his wife's end was coming soon. All of his dreams of living a nice peaceful life with his wife and his son were crashing down like a stack of dominos all because of some evil, heartless creep who would dare attack an innocent infant.

Whoever this masked bastard was, he was going to pay for holding his son hostage, killing his wife and attacking his village. They would!

Boruto and Sarada were quick to notice how his expression mirrored that of Naruto whenever he got serious in battle.

Team Minato then noticed Minato open the door to the closet in the room before pulling out a cloak with the Kanji for "Fourth" on it.

"Whoa…that looks like dad's cloak!" Boruto noted.

"Although this one has 'fourth' instead of 'seventh' on it." Sarada added.

"Minato….thank you…..and good luck…." Kushina weakly turned her head to her husband who put on his ninja gear followed by tightening his ninja headband before finally donning his Hokage cloak.

"I'll be right back." Was all Minato said before he was gone in an instant.

"And there he goes…." Sarada noted.

"I hope he kicks that masked guy's ass!" Boruto growled, feeling hatred for the man who would help to cause his dad the pain he learned he would later go through in life.

"In a just world…maybe." Mitsuki sighed as Boruto also sighed.

Maybe…in an alternate universe, the family of three weren't attacked and Naruto could've been allowed to grow up peacefully.

Team Konohamaru weren't sure how much time had passed but they were at least glad Naruto had gotten some peaceful time with his mother, even if he wasn't aware of it.

"Dad….." Boruto frowned as he never imagined Naruto's birth would have been so tumultuous.

"I wonder…how Lord Fourth is doing…" Sarada said as Mitsuki was silent, not willing to break the spirits of his teammates as he genuinely cared about them.

Kushina weakly smiled at her son as she cradled him close.

"Don't worry…your father will…get rid of that bad man soon…" Kushina smiled despite her exhaustion and pain.

"….Something tells me that's easier than it sounds…." Boruto sighed sadly.

However the sound of explosions suddenly rocked the safe house they were in.

"Don't tell me…that's the nine tails…" Sarada clenched her jaw.

"Unfortunately it seems like that's the case." Mitsuki's eyes narrowed as the abrupt shakes caused Naruto to cry in his sleep.

"Dad!" Boruto said as he tried to cradle his dad the same way he would cradle Himawari when he was a baby only to pass right through, much to his frustration.

"Ugh!" Boruto growled.

"It's so frustrating not being able to help!" Sarada growled out, just as frustrated.

"…It is what is is…" Mitsuki frowned, sharing the feelings but ultimately understanding this was all just a memory.

Kushina's eyes looked upwards to the shelf where a toy was shown. It was a simple drum like toy.

"She wants the toy?" Sarada asked as she noticed Kushina was literally trying to drag herself along the dresser to get to the toy.

"Granny!" Boruto said.

"That's not safe." Sarada said as they tried to help her only to pass right through.

"Ugh…." Boruto groaned as Kushina tried her best to reach it only to fall to the ground.

"Granny!" Boruto yelled, trying to help his grandmother up only to pass through her.

"Don't say it, Mitsuki!" Boruto growled to his teammate who only grimly nodded in response. Mitsuki honestly felt empathy for Kushina and Naruto. He felt empathy for Kushina as she would die without ever knowing the invigorating feeling of being a mother while he felt empathy for Naruto as he would grow up never knowing how much his mother loved him.

Much to the team's amazement, through sheer willpower, Kushina pushed herself up onto the shelf where she retrieved the toy before she practically crawled her way back to the bed where Naruto cried. The scene reminded Boruto of the time when Naruto nearly had a panic attack and ran home in a panicked hurry when Himawari was sick. It was the same warm tenderness and care.

Boruto and Sarada had to turn their heads as it was too much seeing someone like Kushina in such a state while Mitsuki was the only one watching, albeit reluctantly.

"Look….your father…bought this…for you….everything's….going…to be okay…" Kushina weakly smiled as the sound of the toy seemed to calm Naruto as he smiled in his sleep.

"There, there…what a good boy…..Thank you…Minato…." Kushina said before she practically fell next to Naruto. Although that didn't stop her from pulling Naruto close to her.

"Naruto…my little…baby….Finally….we've finally met…but…." Kushina weakly smiled.

"Why….why is this all happening? Dad should be able to live with grandma and grandpa…." Boruto tried blinking the tears that threatened to fall.

"I know…Lady Kushina and Lord Fourth didn't deserve this…." Mitsuki solemnly shook his head as Sarada tried gulping back her own tears but to no avail.

A family such as them deserved a happy ending…..

Before anyone knew anything, Minato suddenly appeared right near the two of them, his clothes soiled from battle as he held Kushina and Naruto close before they phased out of the room into an open field in the forest.

Before Team Konohamaru knew anything, a loud explosion erupted nearby as the house they were previously in were blown to bits.

"The nine tails really is strong!" Boruto noted, remembering the devastating power it displayed during the Momoshiki battle.

"You're telling me." Sarada muttered as Team Konohamaru noted it in the distance.

"And it doesn't look too happy to see Lord Fourth and his family." Mistuki noted as Boruto and Sarada shuddered as they could literally feel the hatred emanating from the fox.

"I wonder….what made him and dad become such efficient partners." Boruto questioned, remembering how much of a team Naruto and the Tailed Beast were against Momoshiki and Kinshiki.

"These memories are definitely gonna tell us…" Sarada said, suddenly starting to at least slightly regret coming into Naruto's memories. She wasn't prepared to see this yet.

"Are you okay?" Minato managed to smile at his wife and son despite his exhaustion.

"Minato…." Kushina muttered, holding her baby close.

"Somehow I managed to get this far….but I don't have much chakra left…." Minato huffed, nearly falling over in the grass below.

"What's wrong with him?" Boruto asked.

"I'm guessing the teleportation ninjutsu took a lot out of him along with battling that masked creep." Sarada surmised.

"The Space Time Ninjutsu can be taxing on an individual if they continuously use it over a long period of time." Mitsuki confirmed Sarada's observation.

"I'll stop him…one way or another…." Minato said as he began brainstorming the ideas of a sort of barrier that could restrain the Nine Tailed Fox.

"There are still things…I must protect…precious things….and as long as I have that…I swear….I'll never give up!" Minato vowed, putting his hand signs together.

Mitsuki's eyes widened, realizing what hand signs those were as Boruto's mind immediately flashed to the time where Naruto protected the Leaf Village from the Otsutsuki invasion.

"Grandpa…" Boruto blinked, realizing where Naruto's badassness had come from.

"Wait. I can still do it…Minato…." Kushina grimaced in pain before several chains erupted from her back and the ground below befre the Nine Tails fox was literally forced to the ground as he was restrained by chains full of chakra.

"What the heck!?" Boruto asked, amazed at what he was seeing, "Chains!?"

"That's like what Auntie Karin used!" Sarada's eyes widened remembering Karin use a similar technique during the whole Jugo fiasco.

"From what my father told me, that's an Uzumaki bloodline technique. The ability to use chakra chains that can pin down and used to combat anything." Mitsuki clarified as his teammate's eyes widened.

"Seriously? And even Auntie Karin could only use one chain not several like Lady Kushina can!" Sarada noted.

"….I wonder…if I can learn how to do that…." Boruto tilted his head in wonder as the Nine Tails was anything but pleased with being held down like a sack of potatoes.

Kushina coughed a mouthful of blood, much to the team's concern.

"Granny!?" Boruto ran to Kushina's side in concern.

"The chakra chains are extremely taxing. Especially when you realize everything that Lady Kushina's went through….." Sarada frowned.

The sudden noise woke up baby Naruto who wailed in alarm.

"I woke you up, huh? I'm sorry, Naruto." Kushina smiled at her son apologetically.

"Kushina!" Minato looked at his wife in astonishment, something that shocked the members of Team Kushina as they had only seen the man calm and reserved, even in the face of danger.

"I'll take the Nine Tails with me to my death. That way, we can reduce the interval…between now and when he reemerges. It's all I can manage…..with all the chakra that I have left…but I'll be able to save you both….so thank you, for everything you've done." Kushina smiled, despite the blood trailing down her skin as Team Konohamaru could hardly believe their ears.

"Wait, she's gonna what?" Sarada asked.

"There's no clear way in killing a Tailed Beast. To elaborate, you can take it out but it'd be reborn at a later date." Mitsuki explained, much to his teammate's dread.

"It can't be….Granny…" Boruto clenched his fist in sadness.

Minato's eyes widened in just the same amount of dread as Team Konohamaru while baby Naruto had calmed down in his crying although almost as if he could sense the trouble of what was going on, he sniffled and shifted uncontrollably before falling back asleep, almost as if to block out everything that was going on.

"Kushina…you're the one….it was you who made me the Fourth Hokage. You made me a man and you made me this baby's father and yet…" Minato trailed off, getting choked up.

"For grandpa to lose grandma so soon after having their first child….." Boruto clenched his fist, feeling even more hatred for the masked man.

"Oh Minato…..please don't give me that sad look….I-I'm happy….because you love me…and what's more, today is the birthday of our beautiful child…." Kushina weakly smiled and almost as if baby Naruto could understand his mother's words, he smiled in his sleep.

"But most of all….if I were to imagine me alive and our future with the three of us together as a family, I can't really picture us as being anything but truly happy….I guess if I were allowed just one regret, I wish I could've seen Naruto, all grown up….I wish I could've seen it…." Kushina closed her eyes as she made up her mind to die, as Boruto and Sarada were barely keeping down their tears.

"If only….if only Lady Kushina would be alive today….she'd be proud of the man Lord Seventh became…." Sarada's eyes filled with tears.

"Yeah….even if dad can be a joke at times…." Boruto tried blinking the tears back as he tried to make a joke to defuse the situation.

Losing a wife is heartbreaking for anyone, especially Minato, evident by the way that several tears cascaded down his eyes. Why? Why couldn't he be allowed to live peacefully with his newborn child and his wife? It was almost like…it was a cruel joke by fate.

"Kushina….there's no need for you to die….in order for you to kill the Nine Tails. Preserve what little chakra you have for your reunion with Naruto." Minato wiped his eyes as his wife stared at him in disbelief.

"I'm going to seal the rest of your chakra inside of Naruto. It'll be part of an eight signed seal…and then I'll take the Nine Tails with me. Since I'm not a Jinchuriki, I'll have to use the Reaper Death Seal." Minato explained as Mitsuki gasped in realization.

"I knew those were the hand signs for the Reaper Death Seal!" Mitsuki noted in remembrance of Orochimaru telling him about the jutsu.

"What's the Reaper Death Seal?" Sarada and Boruto asked, simultaneously.

"It's an extremely powerful sealing jutsu that can seal virtually anything in it. Although…it comes at a catch. The user will die as a side effect of the jutsu…." Mitsuki looked down as his teammates couldn't believe it as they went pale with shock and dread.

"No way…." Sarada gasped out.

"…So that's how…." Boruto's eyes widened in dread, having a clearer understanding of how his grandfather had died. Although, he couldn't stop this sinking feeling in his gut.

"You can't! If you cast that, then you'll-!" Kushina tried talking her husband out of his plan although internally she knew that was impossible. When he made up his mind, he was as steadfast and determined as Naruto….

"And he's gonna do it anyways….like father like son I guess…." Sarada dimly noted.

"And there's one other thing. I'm only going to seal away half of the Nine Tails." Minato stated.

"Wait what? Only half? How come?" Boruto asked.

"Because it's physically impossible to seal away that much power….and if Lord Fourth is going to seal away half of it in the Reaper Death Seal…" Mitsuki trailed off as Boruto and Sarada felt the air leave their longs.

"Then that's how dad ended up with the Nine Tails…." Boruto finished, feeling as though he had finishing solving all the pieces of a puzzle.

"It's physically impossible to seal this much power…..but it's also strategically unwise. If you take the Nine Tails with you, there will be no Jinchuuriki until he reemerges. This will upset the power between Tailed Beasts. With the Reaper Death Seal, we can at least seal away half of the Nine Tails forever…and the other half of the Nine Tails…." Minato expanded on what he said earlier as he went silent and closed his eyes, almost as if he were remembering something important.

Boruto however clenched his fists as he was literally shaking in rage.

"You've got to be kidding me…" Boruto's jaw clenched as his teammates stared at him.

"Boruto?" Sarada asked.

"Preserve the balance of Tailed Beasts!? How could Grandpa be so selfish!? Didn't he care about everything dad would go through!? Because of this, dad would spend his childhood alone and hated!" Boruto shouted, venting and getting everything off his chest.

"Boruto, you can't say that. I'm sure Lord Fourth didn't want to leave his child behind with such a heavy burden." Sarada tried reasoning with his teammate.

"Sarada's right, Boruto. Also do remember what we saw with that masked man earlier. To combat such an enemy who could slip in and out detected to where not even Lord Fourth could detect him, he would need the power of the Nine Tails." Mitsuki added, reminding his teammate who scoffed.

"Be that as it may, I still don't think Grandpa should've died. There should've been someone with him to help him carry along and ease the pain of containing the Nine Tails!" Boruto spat as both Sarada and Mitsuki were at a loss for words. They couldn't disagree whole-heartedly with Boruto's words as Minato didn't actually have to die in this situation.

"You may be right but remember….they're Shinobi….parents pass alongside burdens to their children all the time…" Mitsuki closed his eyes thinking of Log and Orochimaru.

"Tch." Boruto scoffed.

"I'll seal it inside of Naruto, with the Eight Signed Seal." Minato stated again, opening his eyes as Kushina gasped in horror as she realized the implications of Minato's statement.

"I know what you're going to say but remember what Master Jiraiya said about world upheaval? And also…all of the calamities that would accompany it. I've become convinced of two things today; first, that masked man who attacked you will bring catastrophe to the world….And second, the one who will stop him is this child! This infant….whose godfather is Master Jiraiya, he will open up the future as a Jinchuriki! I know it, somehow I'm sure of it." Minato smiled in confidence at his wife as he had complete and utter faith in his student.

"…Well…dad did become the hero of the world after all…." Boruto sighed, still not agreeing with the decision of his grandfather.

"Okay I've heard the term 'Jinchuuriki' get thrown around several times since we've started this memory. What is that?" Sarada asked.

"It's the name given to those who have contain a Tailed Beast such as the Nine Tails inside of them." Mitsuki explained.

"And to think….Master Jiraiya is dad's godfather….I guess I can't be surprised…." Boruto chuckled mirthlessly.

"But Minato!" Kushina gasped through her blood, realizing what kind of life Naruto would have if he ever became a Jinchuriki although Minato would hear none of it.

Minato quickly went through several hand signs before saying, "Reaper Death Seal!"

As he finishing his saying, a large translucent specture that had a huge demonic vibe to it that was very large in size that had long, shaggy white hair along with purple colored skin as it was dressed in a large white Kimono with prayer beads trailed down its arm and a large tanto sword in its mouth. However, directly at the bottom of the Reaper was the soul of Minato.

"…So that's the Reaper…." Sarada took a step back as she and Boruto were slightly creeped out at its appearance.

"I guess so…." Boruto muttered as Mitsuki was silent, getting a chance to see it for the first time. After all, his father had quite the experience with it, not too long ago from what Orochimaru had told him.

"Let's believe in him! This child is our son." Minato said to his wife, keeping his hands together, readying the seal.

"After I've completed this seal, I'm going to seal your chakra inside of Naruto too. You won't have much time but I want you to help him control the Nine Tails' power as a Jinchuriki." Minato said as his wife's dumbfounded expression morphed into one of anger.

"But he's our son Minato! Which is exactly why I don't want him to bear such a heavy burden!" Kushina glared at Minato who only stared at his wife somberly as Team Konohamaru could tell he was barely holding back the tears that threatened to fall. He didn't want to leave behind his son all alone and would've loved seeing his development.

But….this was for the fate of the Shinobi World.

"And tell me, why use the Reaper Death Seal!? If it's just so that I can meet Naruto when he's grown up, especially if it's going to be for a short time, then there's no need for you to die! I'd rather you stay with him and watch over him….I just don't understand….why it has to be this way! Why does Naruto have to be sacrificed for the balance of power amongst Tailed Beasts? For this nation? For this village? Why do you have to sacrifice at all? Just for me!? Please!" Kushina choked out as several tears fell.

"Like I said, grandpa didn't have to die just for the balance of the Tailed Beasts. This was just selfish, to put it not on just any baby but his own son!" Boruto growled out. Had it been him in that situation, he would've punched Minato in his gut the moment they had their reunion.

"Lord Fourth didn't want to. But he understood that for the world itself, Lord Seventh, needed to be the Nine Tails' jailor." Mitsuki said as Boruto turned his head to the side in anger and sadness. Anger at his grandfather and sadness for his father.

"And not to mention…Lord Fourth had faith in his son. He knew he would save the world and he was right." Sarada put a comforting hand on Boruto's shoulder as he looked at her. Despite their squabbling, Boruto and Sarada did indeed care for one another.

Boruto only sighed and nodded.

"To forsake one's nation and one's village…is exactly the same as forsaking one's own child. Your very own homeland was destroyed so you should know that." Minato somberly stated as Team Konohamaru jerked up, taken aback at what they had heard.

"Wait, Granny's clan is gone?" Boruto asked.

"Way back during the three great ninja wars, the village was destroyed, it being believed as being too powerful to allow to be continued." Mitsuki explained as Boruto grit his teeth.

"…Just how messed up was our world?" Boruto clenched his fist, this information not helping his current mood.

"A harsh life awaits those without a land to call home. Besides, our family is Shinobi!" Minato said as Boruto's eyes widened, remembering back to when he desecrated all over the Hokage monument when Naruto told him what was important as a Shinobi was to endure.

Kushina could only gaze at her husband silent as he continued to try to console her about his decision.

"And finally…even if I did live, I could never be a substitute for you." Minato said as Kushina's eyes widened as she realized Minato was right. Despite his goofiness at times, he was still smarter than her by a landslide.

"You won't have much time with him but there's something only you can tell Naruto. Something that I just can't. That's a mother's role. I'm not doing this just for you. I'm doing it for Naruto. I will die my son. It's my duty…as his father." Minato took Naruto from Kushina's arms as they gazed at each other before Kushina finally relented.

"…You see now, Boruto…" Sarada asked as a few tears fell despite her efforts. The way Minato and Kushina loved each other….it was definitely couple's goals.

"….Yeah…." Boruto turned his head away as his eyes welled up with tears again. He was being reminded of his father's sacrifice against Momoshiki too much in these memories.

The arm of the Reaper stretched in the soul of Minato before extending its arm to where the Nine Tailed Fox was, marking it, causing it to shrink slightly in its appearance.

"Damn you…..Fourth Hokage!" The Nine Tails growled out as it bared its fangs, mentally vowing to make him pay.

"Unh….the seal!" Minato grit his teeth as pain coursed through his body as an Eight Tetregram seal appeared on his abdomen where the Reaper had gotten Minato's seal.

"It's started." Mitsuki noted as Boruto and Sarada's hearts fell. Despite not knowing them for long in these memories, they didn't want to see Minato and Kushina die.

Minato then summoned an altar before placing his infant son on the cushioned seat of said altar.

"I'm not sure I can stand to watch this…" Boruto grit his teeth.

"Same….I don't think I'm ready for this…." Sarada noted, slightly regretting coming into Naruto's memories. But…it was too late now….

The Nine Tails growled as it bared its fangs at the Uzumaki family. To say he wasn't happy about its upcoming fate was an understatement.

Boruto's eyes widened as he saw the Tailed Beast raise its claws before catching where his eye was directed towards.

"Oh no! He's going for dad!" Boruto yelled, much to his team's disbelief.

"What!?" Sarada asked.

"Dad!" Boruto yelled as he saw one of the Nine Tails claw slowly race towards his dad.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Boruto said as he summoned a clone to help get his dad to safety only to phase right through.

"Tch! That's right, it's just a memory…" Boruto growled as he felt his heart stop as the claw made its way toward his sleeping, infant father at a speed that seemed too fast to dodge or stop.

At least that's how it was before a splash of red filled the memory.

Team Konohamaru's eyes widened at the image before them.

Boruto's hands flopped to his side as he fell to his knees, a look of utter horror on his face as tears came to Sarada's eyes as she put her hand to her mouth. Even the usually calm Mitsuki looked unnerved at what he had seen.

Minato and Kushina were impaled by the claw of the Nine Tails, the appendage piercing their chests as they were able to get the claw stirred back to mere centimeters over the sleeping Naruto who was still unaware of the events that were transpiring. Blood leaked onto Naruto's abdomen as Minato and Kushina vomited blood.

"…Grandpa…..Grandma…." Boruto barely steered himself to his feet as he couldn't turn away from the image, no matter how long he tried. He was immediately reminded of Naruto's near death with Momoshiki.

"Oh no….Lord Seventh…." Sarada blinked back tears as she thought back to Sasuke protecting her from Shin while Mitsuki could only sorrowfully stare at the sleeping Naruto followed by the dying Minato and Kushina.

"I said…I was his father…..dying for him…is my duty…." Minato weakly wheezed as he glared at his wife. Despite the excruciating pain she was in, Kushina managed a small smile.

"Yes but….I'm his mother….it's mine too….I think this might be….the first time….I've lost an argument…I guess it proves…just how serious you are about you doing this…" Kushina meekly laughed.

"Despite the fact they're going to die…." Mitsuki sadly noted.

"….They can still joke around….." Boruto mirthlessly smiled.

"They really are something…." Sarada unhappily shook her head, being reminded of Sasuke teasing Sakura for a kiss.

"So…this is really it…huh….." Boruto frowned, asking no one in particular.

"…Yeah…..that attack pierced their innards and intestines…probably their hearts….even if they weren't using the Reaper Death Seal, there was still too much internal damage." Mitsuki sighed, not liking that this was happening. It was funny in a way; not too long ago he could've watched a scene like this and have no qualms about doing so but now? He felt horrible for watching such a tragic scene.

It seemed like his teammates were really having quite an effect on him. Human beings were really something….

"I thank you, Kushina…" Minato softly smiled before getting some of the blood on his lip before conjuring hand signs.

"Summoning Jutsu!" Minato weakly said as a tall black and orange toad appeared.

"That's kind of a big toad." Boruto noted.

"It's a scroll toad which can act as a sealing scroll. Meaning, it's probably what's going to be used as the key to Lord Seventh's Seal." Mitsuki explained.

"The Nine Tails!? And Lord Fourth too!? What is going on here!?" The toad exclaimed not expecting to see the Nine Tails restrained with Chakra Chains along with Minato at death's doorstep.

"Gerotora…I'll give you the sealing formula's key. When I'm done, take it to Master Jiraiya to store it." Minato said to the toad who nodded, a bit numbly still at a disbelief as to what's happened.

"U-uh…okay….just let me have the sealing key then." Gerotora said before he was handed the information as it expanded its torso, revealing the scroll underneath as it was given the necessary information.

"I confirm I received the key. Alright, I'm off now!" Gerotora said before body flickering away, leaving Minato and Kushina alone with their baby with the Nine Tails nearby.

Minato smiled in thanks before turning forward to his wife who was impaled in front of him.

"And now we're safe. Kushina, I'm not gonna last much longer. I'll start the Eight Signed Seal right now. I still want to put some of my chakra in Naruto. We won't see him…for quite a while. So let's tell him what we want to say…." Minato said, regretfully at the end as Team Konohamaru's hearts fell.

Finally…this was it…..This was the moment when Naruto would lose his parents forever….

The start of a chain of events that would change his life forever…..

"Naruto…don't be a picky eater….just eat a lot so that you grow up big and strong." Kushina began as Sarada's eyes startle to fill with tears as she realized Naruto was going to lose his mother while Boruto chuckled a little.

"Heh…he definitely didn't do that for you, granny…" Boruto joked although Mitsuki was there to note that his voice didn't have the same zing it usually had.

Then again, considering the situation they were in….

"And make sure….that you bathe every day and that you stay warm. Also…don't stay up too late and make sure that you get plenty of sleep." Kushina smiled warmly at her sleeping child.

"Heh, he definitely passed those two parts…" Boruto shook his head, trying to find some light in the darkness of the current situation.

"Don't forget to make friends as well. You don't need a ton of them, okay? Just a few is fine. As long as they're ones that you can really trust…." Kushina added.

"He definitely fulfilled that for you…" Mitsuki softly smiled as he turned his head towards his two teammates. He definitely trusted them with his life. They saved him and he would give his life for them in a heartbeat.

"And…your mom wasn't real good at this but make sure you study hard and learn your ninjutsu. Always remember, everyone is good at somethings and not so good at others so even if something doesn't go well, don't get depressed, okay?" Kushina added.

"Y-yeah…." Sarada bit her lip as several tears fell despite her efforts. The scene was just too heartbreaking.

"When you're at the Academy, respect your teachers and the upperclassmen." Kushina appended as Boruto laughed despite the tears in his eyes.

"Hehe he definitely learned that, grandma. He makes us call him 'Lord Seventh' all the time in his office." Boruto laughed as his teammates half-heartedly laughed.

"Oh, now this is important. Regarding the three prohibitions of the Shinobi. Be extra careful about lending and borrowing money. Take your pay, put it in a savings account. No alcohol, not until you're of age. Too much Sake is bad for you practice moderation. And…another prohibition is women. Remember, I am one so I don't know too much about it. Keep in mind that this world is made up of men and women and so at some point you'll notice girls and that's normal, just be careful. Don't fall for the bad ones, just go out there and find someone like me." Kushina closed her eyes in a pained smile as Boruto immediately remembered his trip to the past and remembered how smitten his father was with Auntie Sakura years before he would eventually fall for and get with his mother, Hinata.

"Oh…that reminds me. Speaking of the three prohibitions, you should be wary of Jiraiya-Sensei, ya know?" Kushina weakly laughed as Minato gave a small smile while Boruto laughed.

"Hehe you're right about that, granny. He was irresponsible, pervy and slobby and no one would ever believe he was one of the Legendary Sannin but he was definitely a cool Shinobi with a heart of gold." Boruto laughed as more tears fell. Even with the humor he was trying to make, it couldn't take away the tragedy of the situation.

"Naruto…I'm sorry to say….there will be plenty of hardships and painful times ahead…Just be true to yourself….make sure to have dreams…and the confidence to make those dreams come true…" Kushina connected her previous statements as there was no humor in her tone but completely and utter grief and desolation in her words.

"Y-yeah Granny….he wanted to become Hokage since he was a kid and he reached that dream!" Boruto grit his teeth as he put his hand over his eyes as he tried to make his tears stop falling but failed. Damn it! Why was he so sad? He never even met his grandparents but here he was, feeling that his heart was being ripped out and stopped on.

Sarada didn't even bother hiding her tears as she quietly sobbed in Mitsuki's arms who, although he wasn't crying like his teammates, donned a downcast expression.

"…Yeah…he became a noble, righteous man with a heart of gold." Sarada sobbed out as Mitsuki stared at his teammates melancholically.

Why was the Shinobi World so harsh where young infant lose their parents not even an hour after being born?

"Oh Naruto…there's so much….oh so much more….there are so many things I wish I had time to pass onto you. So much more I want to tell you. I wish I could stay with you longer….I love you!" Kushina sobbed as those words were enough to make Boruto and Sarada cry even harder.

"…I-it's…not fair….dad….should've grown up with both his parents…he didn't deserve any of this!" Boruto sobbed in the sleeve of his jacket.

"It's all because of that masked bastard." Sarada spat his name like she ate a hot pepper as both she and Boruto were eagerly looking forward to the memory where he would get his just desserts.

"He will meet his justice." Mitsuki said, feeling anger. Although he had no idea why. These were people he never even met yet he felt angry for them. And empathy for the hard road the lay ahead for Naruto.

"Minato…I'm sorry, I used up your time." Kushina apologized though she didn't stop her tears.

Although Minato felt like breaking down into tears himself, he ultimately composed himself and kept his cool.

"No….it's alright….Naruto…my words to you…well…I guess your talkative mom said it all…" Minato chuckled although the team could've sworn they saw several tears leave his eye sockets.

"Eight Signed Seal…." Minato said as a bright light brightened around Naruto before the team felt the same bluish-purple fog surround them as the memory ended.

* * *

How's that for a first memory guys!?

Now I know some of you might be shocked that I started off the memory viewing with the stuff pertaining to Naruto's birth rather than starting at the beginning of the series with the events that happened in Episode 1/Chapter 1 with Naruto becoming a ninja.

Well my reason is simple; since this is a story with Naruto's own "Hero's Journey", I figured it'd be appropriate to start at the actual beginning followed by his childhood and events that led to him being the person he was at the start of the series followed the actual events thereafter. Now for those who might be unhappy at the sound of that, those kinds of chapters won't last much longer, I promise ^_^

But speaking of memories, man Naruto sure had one **JACKED UP** childbirth that started with a kunai at his throat and ended with him losing his parents with them not even being around for an hour. And it's just tragic how Minato and Kushina's love story ended up, isn't it? So beautiful and yet so tragic...

While this chapter might not have been much, the small MinaKushi moments made up for it, right? XD

And I hope I had the reactions of Boruto, Sarada and Mitsuki in lines with how they would've reacted in terms of their characters and personalities.

I also know some of you might be upset that I didn't show more with Kushina getting the Nine Tails extracted or Minato's fight with Obito in this chapter but please keep in mind one thing:

Since this is from Naruto's P.O.V. he wasn't around to see those events.

However, I have a way for them to see those events when the time is…right for a lack of better words! ;D

Also, I hope you all like how I had Mitsuki explain the mechanics of jutsu that Boruto and Sarada wouldn't logically be aware of as that's going to be his role in my story as the person who will provide exposition to certain jutsu. I figured since his father was Orochimaru and given his immense and vast knowledge that it's not that too far out of possibility that he would share some information about jutsu and other information with his son. His "son" anyways since Mitsuki is a synthetic human.

Next time is when the memory watching actually starts and Team Konohamaru will get to see what made Naruto into the man he is today and you can all expect that chapter to come out this coming Friday, December 27th so please look for it then!

Now until Friday, please let me know your thoughts on this chapter and the story as a whole and please remember to have a VERY MERRY Christmas! ^_^


	3. Dreams for the Future

Hi, everyone! MERRY BELATED CHRISTMAS! ^_^ How were all your Christmas and what'd you get? I'd tell you guys about mine but you all don't really care for that XP Lemme start by saying I'm SO happy people are enjoying this story especially considering it's a Boruto story and we know of Boruto's uh…less than stellar….for a lack of better words, reputation in the Naruto community. Then again I suppose such an idea like my story is rather unique then, haha. Thank you all so much as your support is what helps motivate me to complete this story so I hope you all continue to continue reading all the way 'til the end!

Now with all that said, let Chapter 3 commence! ^_^

* * *

As Team Konohamaru pulled themselves together, it was only now they realized the pitch black void they found themselves standing in.

"What…just happened?" Sarada asked, wiping her eyes.

"My guess is that was just one of the memories we're going to be experiencing and we got everything we needed to know out of that particular memory." Mitsuki said.

"I still can't believe it though….I never thought….dad's own birth would be so…hellacious." Boruto muttered, wiping and getting every last bit of moisture from his eye.

"At least that explains why Lord Seventh was an orphan as a child." Sarada folded her arms.

"I wonder what else we're gonna discover in these memories…." Boruto looked down at the hand that adorned the diamond shaped seal on it.

"We'll find out soon enough, that's for sure." Mitsuki said.

"And besides you signed up for it so don't tell me you're chickening out, you big cry baby." Sarada smirked as Boruto returned her amused expression with one of his own.

"Me? No way!" Boruto snorted as Sarada playfully smacked Boruto's right shoulder as Mitsuki put his hand on Boruto's left shoulder.

"Now since that's out of the way, I can only wonder what the next memory has in store for us." Mitsuki smiled.

Almost as if granting Mitsuki's request, the bluish-purple fog suddenly appeared, enveloping the team as it encompassed them for the next memory to appear.

As the fog finished consuming the Team, they noticed they were right in the Middle of the Leaf Village.

"We're in the Leaf Village?" Boruto asked as the team noticed it was early morning as the sun was slowly rising.

"And look! The new city is gone!" Sarada pointed to where the New City would normally be located.

"Well given how this is several years in the past, it makes sense why it wouldn't be anywhere around. C'mon, let's walk around." Mitsuki said as the team followed suit.

The first thing the team noticed was how more traditionally architectural the Leaf Village of the past looked as compared to the more futuristic design they were used to. For instance, there weren't any trains nor were the restaurants that the team would frequent were around.

Thanks to his voyage to the past, this wasn't a shock to Boruto as it was to Sarada and Mitsuki.

"Wow…I never realized how dated everything was…." Sarada noted.

"It can't be helped….we're at least twenty years in the past." Mitsuki noted, not having a clear idea on how old Naruto could be in this current memory, "After all, this could be when Lord Seventh was the same newborn infant he was in the last memory or it could be when he's our age."

"One thing's for sure. It's definitely before Granny Tsunade was Hokage." Boruto said as he pointed to the Great Stone Faces as there were four heads, the faces of Hashirama, Tobirama, Hiruzen and Minato.

It was up on the Great Stone Faces where the team noticed a small blip on top of one of the heads.

"What's that up there?" Boruto pointed as the team then noticed where Boruto's finger was.

"Beats me. Let's find out." Sarada said as the three made their way to where the Hokage tower was.

As soon as they reached the Hokage tower, they all gasped as they got their answer. On top of the head of ironically the Fourth Hokage, was none other than a young Naruto Uzumaki who looked to be no older than three years old.

"D-dad!?" Boruto asked before covering his mouth, not wanting to scare the young toddler.

"It's a memory, remember?" Mitsuki laughed as Boruto blushed in embarrassment.

"What in the nine hells is Lord Seventh doing atop of a large rock from such a huge distance!? He can't be any older than two or three!" Sarada nearly pulled her hair out of her hair as she couldn't imagine doing any of this as a toddler. Her mother would've smacked her silly if she even thought of something so insane?

"Well it's not like he has any parents around to tell him anything from right from wrong…" Boruto sadly said as Sarada looked down as Mitsuki frowned.

"During this time period it was said that Hiruzen Sarutobi took the mantle of Hokage after Lord Fourth passed away." Mitsuki explained to his teammates.

"Well where the hell is he and why isn't he getting this child down from there!?" Sarada glared before the team noticed that Naruto was looking off into the distance with a forlorn expression…almost one of…longing.

"I wonder what he's thinking…." Boruto asked as he saw his young father raise his hand, almost as if he were trying to capture the big, wide sun in the sky only to have the shadow of the clouds block his field of vision.

It was then Naruto noticed several birds squawking in the sky as they flew off. Such a spectacle brought a smile to the young boy only for it to go away as they left.

Naruto only sighed before getting down and making his way down to the village.

"What was all that about?" Boruto asked as Sarada frowned at the young child.

"It was….him realizing he's not good enough…." Sarada explained as Boruto raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" Boruto asked.

"What Sarada means is that Lord Seventh realizes in the end, he's nothing but a small fish in a big pond. He may be mighty and powerful now, but he started off as just a regular kid like everyone else." Mitsuki clarified for the blonde. Although he was probably the last person to say that given his unique origins.

"Pretty hard to believe given what he has inside of him…." Boruto mused as the three followed after the young boy.

As he walked through the village, the team noticed several middle-aged women whisper about it.

"I hear it's true…" A woman with black hair whispered to her friend, a woman with light brown colored hair.

"That boy, huh?" Her friend whispered back as they both looked at the child with expressions full of fear and disgust.

"What's their problem?" Sarada asked, not particularly liking their attitude as Boruto remembered Jiraiya's words to him…

"_The Fourth Hokage sealed the Nine Tailed within Naruto who was just a newborn. Naruto became the vessel for the Nine Tailed Fox Spirit for the benefit of the village. But the adults in the village don't see Naruto that way._

"It's like Master Jiraiya said…..the Nine Tails was sealed in dad to save everyone but these bastards are too damn ungrateful to differentiate between the demon and its jailor." Boruto spat with pure disgust in his voice as he clenched his fist, barely able to control his anger that was steadily rising as Naruto had clearly heard their words as he stopped walking.

It was a treatment that he was clearly used to, given his body language.

"…It looks like…he's used to this…." Boruto growled out as Sarada blinked, trying to stop her tears.

"He looks to be around three…a three year old shouldn't be going through treatment like that." Sarada sadly commented as though Mitsuki didn't say anything, he shared his teammates' feelings of disgust and disbelief.

He looked hurt and seriously close to crying before he felt something small and rubbery hit his legs.

Naruto smiled as he grasped the ball tightly. Was someone finally going to be nice to him?

"Hey don't play with him."

That comment shattered Naruto's feelings of hopes like a stack of dominos as the ball had come from a small girl. The source of the comment was an older man, potentially her father who held onto her tightly, looking at Naruto as if he had kicked the man's dog.

"Get out of here. You're not wanted here!" The man growled, holding his daughter close as several of the adults murmured their feelings of hatred and consternation.

Naruto nearly teared up and broke down right then and there before he gathered himself together and left.

As Naruto walked around the village, it was the same treatment every time he got if he so much as stepped into public.

"Look it's him!"

"Such a freak!"

"I heard Lord Fourth died for him."

"Where are his parents?"

"They probably abandoned him. I would to, having something like that for a son!"

That last comment set off Boruto as a vein pulsed on his forehead as he breathed hard and slow.

"You bastards! I'll show you a freak!" Boruto yelled, having to be restrained by Mitsuki.

"Boruto, remember this is a memory." Mitsuki reminded his friend although he understood his reasons for being mad and couldn't blame him for being upset.

"Ugh, to think Grandpa died for these bastards! It probably would've been better if they were blown to bits from the Nine Tails." Boruto snarled.

"Boruto, I understand how you're feeling but to say that is going a bit too far, isn't it?" Sarada asked as Boruto scoffed.

"'Too far'? You tell me any of these villagers that we've seen so far that honestly honored Grandpa's wishes for dad to get a hero's treatment." Was all Boruto answered as both teammates were silent…realizing he was indeed right.

Naruto tried his best ward off and ignore all the hateful scowls and degrading comments before coming across a particular shop. It had the Kanji for "Ichiraku" on the outside flap and the delicious aroma of ramen wafted through the air as Naruto felt his stomach rumble in hunger. He searched his pockets before realizing he had no money. Naruto grunted before running off, as the villagers scoffed at his retreating back.

"Wait, so if that Hiruzen guy is back, where is he? Why isn't he helping out dad!?" Boruto asked, frustrated at the Third Hokage who was apparently back in power, yet did nothing to help his starving father.

"I'm sure Lord Third has a lot to tend to. The village did suffer a lot after the Nine Tails and that masked man attacked it." Sarada tried reasoning with her teammate who only scoffed in return.

"You mean to tell me he can't drop in once a while to check up on dad and make sure he's okay? For all the hell I gave dad, he came home to help Himawari and I when we both got sick." Boruto argued back as once again, his teammates had nothing to say.

Naruto then made his way to where he lived, a small apartment complex as he opened the door before letting himself. The team noticed in was moderately clean before Naruto let himself in.

The team were disturbed to see that a young child was left alone in an apartment complex all by himself.

Boruto, not so much due to already seeing his father's childhood home but it didn't stop him from being disgusted regardless.

"Who leaves a child all alone in a building like this?" Sarada asked, crossing her arms, disgusted, wishing she could do something to ease Naruto's pain but alas this was just a memory, events that have already happened.

"Remember, this is the Shinobi World where children are bred to be soldiers as young as five and six." Mitsuki reminded his teammates.

"Yeah but it doesn't mean we have to like it." Boruto frowned as they followed Naruto all the way to his room where he slumped onto his back on his bed.

It was then where the tears Naruto held back finally released themselves.

"….Why? Why doesn't anyone like me? Why don't I have any parents? Why am I always…alone?" Naruto bit his lips as his tears continued following as Team Konohamaru's hearts all went out to the young boy.

"Dad…" Naruto teared up as he tried putting a comforting head on Naruto's head only to pass right through him, making him growl in frustration as he felt like utter trash for the fact that he couldn't do anything to ease his dad's pain. All they could do was just watch it pain….

It was frustrating!

"Lord Seventh…Your parents loved you very much and they gave their lives for you because of their love for you." Sarada gulped back her tears.

"To act like this towards a child…it's clearly inhumane…" Mitsuki shook his head as Naruto wiped his eyes before starting to head out of his apartment building before going to a forest outside of the village, much to the team's curiosity.

"Uh, where is he going?" Sarada asked.

"Guess we'll find out." Boruto shrugged as they followed Naruto all the way to a river stream in a forest where Naruto ran across to where there were several wooden like targets set up.

Naruto grabbed several pebbles before lunging them at the targets, hitting them with ease, making Naruto smile.

"Wait, Lord Seventh can't be older than three here!" Sarada pointed out, amazed at how he hit the targets.

"Yeah so how is a three year old just as good as seasoned ninja?" Boruto blinked.

"It could be that maybe he set those targets himself and he's gotten adapted over time to what he, himself set up." Mitsuki assumed.

"Okay but where could a three year old get all those tools? Or better yet why aren't more adults watching over him?" Sarada asked in disbelief that any three year old could run so amuck with no adult supervision. Even when she was seven, she was practically on a leash by her mother.

"With everything we've seen, do you honestly need to ask?" Mitsuki asked, humbling Sarada.

While he felt an inner victory at hitting the traps he set for himself, his hunger couldn't be ignored as he suddenly noticed several mushrooms around in the area.

"Wow! I wonder if this is all good!" Naruto asked.

Sarada scanned over all of the mushrooms that Naruto selected with a watchful eye before turning to her teammates.

"Thankfully none of those are poisonous." Sarada clarified for her teammates, thankful for the time she stole and read one of her mother's medical books about food items that were and were not poisonous.

"Well that'a a relief." Boruto rolled his eyes as Mitsuki merely chuckled.

With a trusty hotspot, several mushrooms were collected before Naruto steadily boiled and cooked them before going fishing in a river stream with the help of a string and stick.

It was around evening time when Naruto finally chowed down on his dinner, relieved to be getting some food in his stomach.

"Huh? Who knew dad was such a good cook?" Boruto tilted his head, remembering all the times Naruto would beg Hinata to make him dinner as well as the times he would notice the empty ramen cups on his desk.

"It could be that since he's either become accustomed to eating Ramen at some point in his life that's what he's bothered to eat or he's just decided to go lazy since Mrs. Hinata is such a good cook." Mitsuki surmised with a smile, remembering how tasty the cake she made was.

"I wonder…what caused his ramen addiction anyways…" Sarada put her hand to her chin in thought before a figure came up behind Naruto, making him nearly drop the fish he finished eating.

The man was elderly with spiky white hair and wore a red Kimono under a white set of robes.

"W-who are you?" Naruto asked, suddenly wishing he was a ninja in case this man was a dangerous case of "Stranger Danger".

The man merely smiled at the young boy.

"Me? I'm just an old man passing through." The old man smiled at the young boy.

"Hey, I recognize him from the pictures in dad's office! That's the Third Hokage!" Boruto pointed at Hiruzen in a mixture of shock and anger.

"Wow, it is! I wonder how strong he is…" Sarada marveled at the sight of the Third Hokage while Mitsuki was silent, remembering his father's story of his failed invasion of the Leaf Village.

"Why the hell didn't he do anything for dad!? He's out here starving while that old guy is just chilling all day?" Boruto growled.

"Boruto, I'm sure he wants to help Lord Seventh but look at him, he came back in a state where he wasn't in his physical prime anymore. Not to mention he has to help bring stability to a village that was recently destroyed so he obviously has a lot on his plate." Sarada tried reasoning with her friend who sighed.

"…If you say so…" Boruto muttered.

However, Hiruzen's attention was drawn to the smell of Naruto's freshly cooked fish as his stomach let out a famished gurgle, much to the old man's embarrassment and much to Team Konohamaru's amusement.

"How embarrassing!" Boruto snickered as Naruto also found this funny as he began laughing while Hiruzen even laughed a little, albeit his was in embarrassment.

"Here gramps, eat this." Naruto smiled, handing the old man one of his fish sticks.

"Oh thank you. This looks so good." Hiruzen looked over the fish, amazed that such a young boy could catch and grill a fish so well as Naruto smiled bashfully.

"Heh, well I caught it. So of course, it's gonna taste good!" Naruto proudly stated.

"Oh is that so?" Hiruzen humored the young boy before tasting the fish and yelping as the hot food touched his tongue, "Hot, hot!"

After cooling his tongue off and getting a couple of bites in on his fish stick, he and Naruto stared into the nighttime sky.

"Look at those stars. Each one of those stars is like our world's sun. What do you think? The sheer amount is incredible, eh?" Hiruzen smiled, looking at the starry night as he was no doubt recounting the period of time when he was Naruto's age.

"The sun? That giant thing that shines in the sky during the day?" Naruto tilted his head curiously.

"Yes. This world is boundless." Hiruzen explained to Naruto who looked amazed at Hiruzen's knowledge.

"Oh yeah? You sure know a lot, gramps!" Naruto energetically grinned as Hiruzen chuckled at the young boy's enthusiasm.

"Compared to the vastness of the world, man's existence is very insignificant. The things that insignificant humans fret about are petty indeed." Hiruzen said to the young boy whose eyes marveled in awe at the man's knowledge.

Team Konohamaru were just as amazed.

"Man…this old guy really knows his stuff…..everyone's own plights they may complain about don't really matter in the long run and can easily be resolved if they all sit and talk about it…" Boruto's eyes softened as he remembered his previously strained relationship with his father before they were finally able to talk things through and their relationship had improved tremendously as a result.

"Yeah….kinda like dad and me…" Sarada's gaze softened, thinking of her and Sasuke. Sasuke had really been trying to make up for not being there for Sarada during that Parent and Child Day festival not too long ago and how did she repay him? By essentially scoffing and belittling his efforts.

"And even when we had our disagreements, you both forgave and took me back." Mitsuki smiled at his teammates as Boruto playfully smacked his shoulder.

"You're one of us, man. Now and forever." Boruto smirked.

"Of course." Sarada smiled.

Naruto looked at the stars above as he looked deep in thought.

"No kidding. The world is big, huh?" Naruto asked as Hiruzen merely nodded in response.

"It goes on and on…." Naruto muttered, more to himself than Hiruzen before both of their stomachs growled in unison, making both of them blush and Team Konohamaru snicker before they both looked at each other and laugh.

Naruto then boiled his small hot pot as the mushrooms started to boil.

"Do you want some mushroom soup, gramps?" Naruto asked.

"Are you sure you can spare me some?" Hiruzen raised an eyebrow.

"Sure! You tell great stories, gramps!" Naruto grinned.

"I see! Are you sure these mushrooms are safe?" Hiruzen looked at the soup skeptically.

"Won't know until we try!" Naruto laughed as Team Konohamaru face-palmed at Naruto.

"I hope they're not poisoned." Sarada shook her head.

"At least we know he survives." Boruto sighed as Mitsuki chuckled.

"At least this is a lighter memory than the previous one." Mitsuki joked as Boruto and Sarada couldn't agree with him.

"By the way, who are you old man?" Naruto asked, handing Hiruzen a bowl of Mushroom Soup.

"I am Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage." Hiruzen smiled as Naruto looked at the man in shock.

"Wait, you're the 'Hokage' everyone drools over?" Naruto asked as Hiruzen chuckled at Naruto's choice of words.

"Yes I suppose I am." Hiruzen chuckled as Naruto looked at Hiruzen curiously. The way the Hokage were treated was the exact opposite of how Naruto was treated.

While Naruto was ostracized and ignored, Hiruzen was praised and loved.

Naruto's eyes became downcast as he looked at his now empty bowl.

"…If you're the Hokage then….that means everyone likes you…no one…hates you…" Naruto looks down as Hiruzen looked at the boy with a raised eyebrow.

"…Where does this come from, Naruto?" Hiruzen asked as Naruto looked down as he bit his lip.

"…D-do you….think…I can…become Hokage?" Naruto asked in a voice that didn't sound like himself.

He sounded so frail…almost…broken…

"Lord Seventh…he doesn't sound as confident like he normally does….he sounds so…..fragile…" Sarada frowned as Boruto clenched his fist.

"Because of those bastard villagers. Getting treated like that as a little kid would hurt anyone's confidence…even dad's…." Boruto barely kept the disgust out of his voice as Mitsuki put a comforting hand on Boruto's shoulder.

"At least he became the powerful leader he always wanted to be." Mitsuki smiled as Boruto sighed, not believing how much things changed to the villagers actually crying and grieving over Naruto's fate when he was thought to have been killed by Momoshiki and Kinshiki.

Hiruzen frowned before giving the young boy a warm smile.

"You can become anything if you put your mind to it…." Hiruzen ruffled Naruto's hair as something changed in Naruto's eyes.

A light sparkled and it was something that Team Konohamaru instantly recognized. It was the twinkle of endless confidence and perseverance that let everyone know he could achieve and overcome anything.

"Regardless, if you need anything Naruto, please just know I'm here for you." Hiruzen ruffled Naruto's hair before taking his leave.

Naruto teared up before wiping his eyes and grinning, "YEAH!"

The next morning then came as Naruto laid atop the head of the Fourth Hokage, looking off into the sky, deep in thought.

"…So that's how…." Sarada began.

"Dad got his dream for the future…" A smile adorned Boruto's face as he thought about the kind of man this young Naruto would grow up to be.

"He's right….compared to the world, I'm just….I'm so small, whatever I do…" Naruto murmured in thought.

"Yeah but you'll grow up to become one heck of a man." Mituski amusingly mused.

"Yep!" Boruto smirked.

"But I'm me. That's who I am!" Naruto smirked before doing something completely reckless, he jumped straight off of the Great Stone Faces.

…..

"WHAT THE HELL!?" Sarada and Boruto simultaneously yelled.

Mitsuki only smiled in amusement and amazement.

"So that's where Boruto gets his bashfulness from." Mitsuki smiled as Boruto glared at him.

"Not like that! He can't be older than three!" Boruto pointed out as Sarada shook his head.

"Where is Lord Hiruzen and why isn't he stopping him!?" Sarada looked ready to rip her hair out as she feared Naruto was going to make her get a couple of gray hairs in her memories. Just how did her mother deal with Naruto when he was like that?

"Probably dealing with paperwork." Boruto dryly stated with an eye roll as Sarada blushed, remembering those were her earlier words.

"I'M GONNA BE THE HOKAGE ONE DAY!" Naruto yelled before the scene blackened ending the memory.

"…Well that was definitely…something…" Boruto muttered, still not over his three year old father jumping off from such a high distance. How he didn't squish like a bug was beyond him.

"So that's how Lord Seventh got his dream…." Sarada noted.

"And at least we know he achieves his dream." Mitsuki smiled.

"Yeah…but I wonder what the next memory's gonna be?" Boruto asked and as if granting him his request, the bluish-purple fog enveloped the team before they found themselves standing in the Leaf Village.

Although they found that the village on this particular day was very rainy.

"Ugh, I can't believe this!" Sarada groaned, never liking the rain and was grateful the rain couldn't touch her.

"Where's dad?" Boruto asked, running as he tried finding his father before the sound of a door roughly being shoved open got his attention.

"And stay out!" The voice of a man shouted out as a young boy's cry of pain got the team's attention, Team Konohamaru, instantly recognizing that voice.

"Hey that's dad!" Boruto said as he and his team ran to finding Naruto on his butt in a puddle of rain as the young boy looked at what appeared to be the owner of the shop in a look of grief and anger.

"What's the deal old man? I was just looking at your yummy smelling bread and pastries…" Naruto muttered, his stomach emanating a low grumble.

"He's starving again?" Boruto asked, his right hand clenched in righteous rage. What he wouldn't give to smack this asshole in the face.

"I've got nothing to sell you so get out! I don't like pests anyways!" The bakery owner snarled, Sarada being unnerved to the point as she took a step back in apprehension. It looked like this man seriously wanted to harm Naruto.

"C'mon, I'm hungry….can't I have a nibble?" Naruto asked, pulling his pockets out for emphasis showing he's broke.

To say Team Konohamaru was disgusted was an understatement.

"Old man Hiruzen's too busy, huh!? You have a hungry kid here and this asshole here looks like he wants to kill him!" Boruto shouted, wishing he could smack this man in the head with his vanishing Rasengan.

"…I…I…" As even Sarada who idolized the Hokage to the point of hero-worshipping couldn't answer.

Mitsuki even pondered, questioning for a second, if his father was wrong in his previous resentment of this village.

"No, monsters like you aren't welcome here." The man spat, barely restraining himself from smacking the young boy in the face.

"Now get out, brat!" The man spat before slamming the door hard.

Boruto was having to be restrained by his teammates.

"That bastard! How can he do that to a kid!?" Boruto yelled, wishing he could give that asshole a piece of his mind.

Boruto roughly shoved his teammates off as his teammates weren't faring any better in their feelings of disgust, understanding his feelings of anger and grief.

"I wonder how Lord Seventh could ever grow to want to protect guys like that…" Sarada spat out as Mitsuki shook his head.

"That just goes to show how kind of a person he is." Mitsuki said.

"I know…..and to think I thought he was just a scumbag…" Boruto shook his head, remembering how he used to actually think his father didn't care about him? If anything…with the type of environment he had to grow up in, it makes sense he wasn't as adept as being a father like Shikadai's or Chocho's.

Team Konohamaru followed as it was the same thing with Naruto entering a shop with him getting shoved out and warned to never come back by the owners of several bakeries, cafes and restaurants.

The villagers around merely scoffed at Naruto's sight.

"To think Lord Hokage would soil our village with that brat!"

"I know, our village has fallen!"

"To think Lord Fourth is dead instead of him."

"It should've been him instead."

"Such a little monster. I don't want my kids associating with him one bit!"

"He even comes near my kid and I'll yank them aside myself."

Sarada was in tears seeing Naruto harshly treated at such a young age while Boruto and Mitsuki could barely contain their distaste at the treatment of such a young boy.

"Lord Seventh…" Sarada choked as it was breaking her heart to see a young boy being denied food just for being the container of a demon.

"And these are the people Grandma and Grandpa died for…unbelievable…" Boruto snarled clenching his fists hard to the point where it started to hurt him but it didn't matter as it was nothing compared to the pain Naruto was going through. It was driving him crazy hearing Naruto's stomach rumble as he was being denied nourishment.

Naruto continued trekking through the rain before coming across a shop, the same shop with the name "Ichiraku" on the outer flap of the restaurant shack.

Soaked and cold, Naruto hesitantly looked into the shop before coming across a young man with closed eyes.

"Who is that?" Sarada asked, her eyes dry as Boruto smiled.

"That's Old Man Teuchi!" Boruto smiled in recognition of the younger version of Teuchi.

"Teuchi?" Mitsuki asked.

"He's the owner of Ichiraku Ramen! Or was…until Big Sis Ayame took over…I wonder how he's doing…" Boruto smiled despite his sour mood.

Teuchi immediately noticed the young boy and smiled as he extended a hand forward.

"Come on in here, little boy. It's safe." Teuchi warmly encouraged the young boy to enter the shop.

Naruto however, used to the horrible treatment of the villagers, tensed up before slowly creeping out of the shop.

"Wait! Come back! I promise I won't do you wrong." Teuchi called out to the young boy who meekly came into the shop, something that shocked the team of genin watching. Seeing that such a confident person like Naruto being reduced to a timid, frightened toddler was something that made even Mitsuki unnerved and on edge.

"…..Really?" Naruto timidly asked.

"Really." Teuchi confirmed with a small smile as Naruto nervously sat at a desk where his food would get served.

"Unbelievable. A kid shouldn't be scared to get a meal!" Boruto spat, hatred and anger present in his voice.

"How could the villagers be so cruel and harsh to a child?" Sarada asked, just as repulsed.

"Here. You look a little wet." Teuchi wiped off Naruto with a warm towel before handing it to the young boy.

"T-thank you…." Naruto meekly thanked as Boruto smiled tenderly at his three year old father.

"How nice…" Boruto smiled as such a scene was enough to bring a tear to Sarada's eyes.

It took little to no time as Teuchi set down a nice, steaming bowl of ramen down for the young boy.

"Here you are! A big bowl of miso ramen with extra chasu and pork!" Teuchi smiled as the young boy marveled at the sight of the tasty bowl of ramen. His stomach roared with anticipation as his mouth salivated uncontrollably.

"Whoa, that looks really good!" Boruto drooled, his stomach suddenly feeling empty as he suddenly missed Ichiraku's ramen, his hunger replacing his anger.

"Down boy!" Sarada smacked Boruto's skull. If only her words could actually work in setting his ass down whenever he got out of line.

Maybe such a world existed….

Naruto looked unsure as Teuchi put a hand atop Naruto's head.

"Go ahead. Eat while it's still hot." Teuchi smiled kindly as Naruto decided to take a couple of bites, his hunger getting the better of him before his eyes suddenly lit up in childish excitement.

"Yummy!" Naruto yelled as Teuchi heartily laughed at the scene as Naruto savored every single bite.

"Huh? You know something? Dad doesn't eat as sloppily as he normally does." Boruto observed as Mitsuki's gaze suddenly became downcast.

"…It's probably because this is the first time he's had a warm meal like this. He can't eat out of the forest forever." Mitsuki dully noted as Sarada and Boruto looked down.

"Dad….what you went through…." Boruto muttered, knowing he would only go through more down the line….

"And you can have another bowl on the house!" Teuchi grinned, pouring the leftover Ramen he had left into Naruto's bowl.

"Wow! Thank you!" Naruto grinned as he ate the second bowl just as fast.

Teuchi smiled softly at the young boy as he was quite aware of who his parents were. He had his father's hair and eye color but his facial features and eye shape were all his mother's. To say his daughter Ayame was excited about the baby that Kushina was carrying was an understatement.

Teuchi was also aware of what the boy was carrying inside of him…However unlike a majority of the village, he didn't hate or resent the boy. Naruto was just a boy and the Nine Tails was the Nine Tails.

"Thank you so much, Old man! I'm Naruto Uzumaki and I'm gonna be the Hokage one day!" Naruto grinned as Team Konohamaru smiled at the kid.

"Damn right!" Boruto grinned as Teuchi heartily laughed.

"I know you can achieve it one day. I believe in you." Teuchi smiled, cleaning his food area off as Naruto's eyes widened.

…Was this guy serious? Did this man seriously believe in him?

Sensing Naruto's comfort, Teuchi walked from behind his counter before making his way over to the child and hugged him tightly.

Naruto's eyes filled with tears as he found himself buried in Teuchi's arm, as his body shook and rattled with sobs as he decided to let all of his grief out as Teuchi only held onto him tighter.

"It's okay, Naruto….this shop will always be welcome to you. No matter what anyone says." Teuchi soothingly rubbed Naruto's back as Naruto couldn't stop the happy tears streaming down his face. Teuchi knew serving someone regarded as a "monster" or "freak" would be disastrous in terms of the economy of his restaurant and people would stop coming but a starving child was something he would never tolerate!

Team Konohamaru couldn't stop themselves from tearing up at the scene, or rather Boruto and Sarada.

"Such a kind man…" Sarada smiled through her tears, happy that such a kind soul existed in such a disastrous world yet was ashamed she didn't eat at Ichiraku's that much. Such a kind man deserved every penny she had.

"…Now I know why dad loves Ramen…" Boruto wiped his eyes as he looked at Teuchi.

"When we get out of here…I'm gonna take dad to see Teuchi…" Boruto vowed as the man deserved it. He, along with Hiruzen, were along ones of the first ones who genuinely accepted and cared for Naruto in the beginning.

"Yes, I believe that sounds good." Mitsuki smiled as Boruto wiped his eyes, ready to see more.

However, much to Team Konohamaru's confusion, the scene suddenly shifted to a street side where snow poured from the sky.

"Wait, what just happened!?" Boruto asked, alarmed as he wiped his eyes.

"It must be because since we're viewing a large portion of Lord Seventh's movies it must be divided in parts or scenes." Mitsuki explained.

"Oh, you mean like a movie?" Sarada tilted her head.

"I suppose you could say that." Mitsuki mused as Boruto snorted.

"Heh, to think we're all watching a movie. Sounds like some sort of anime." Boruto laughed as the sounds of foot crunching got the attention of the team as they looked to see Naruto walking through the snow as he was wearing a winter style coat over his regular clothes coupled with green goggles with the name "Naruto" etched into the top part of him.

Naruto however stopped his walking as he noticed something in the snow.

"Who's that?" Naruto asked, running before noticing a girl with short blue-colored, lime shaped hair, wearing a purple kimono. The team instantly recognized the girl who raised her soft styled face.

"Mom!" Boruto exclaimed, pointing at his mom. Already being somewhat acquainted with the younger version of his mother thanks to his trip to the past, he wasn't surprised to see she was meeker than the "scary" version that he's used to. What really concerned her was the fact that she was three years old just alone in a street in the dead of winter all alone by herself. Where was Grandpa Hiashi?

"Why is a kid alone at this time at night? Seriouly! I've said it once before and I'll say I again, where are the parents?" Sarada asked as Naruto made his way to the girl.

"What're you doing out here?" Naruto asked, although the meek Hinata was slightly taken aback with Naruto's blunt, straight forward personality.

"I…I…" Hinata shyly answered as Naruto walked over to where he was directly forward in front of her. Although he may've been a pariah in the village, loathed by the adults, maybe he could win over some of the kids. Besides, it wasn't in his character to just leave someone along in a freezing street.

"Where's your house?" Naruto smiled at Hinata who looked down, almost as if she didn't want to return.

"I wonder…what's with mom?" Boruto raised an eyebrow, concerned at the fact that there were also tears in her eyes.

"Obviously not something good." Sarada answered.

"Oh well, come on. Let's go!" Naruto smiled, grabbing Hinata's hand and pulling her forward as she was even more surprised with how to the point this boy was.

"Well that's a way to do it." Mitsuki chuckled as Boruto and Sarada snorted.

"Even now, dad's like 'let's do it!'" Boruto laughed as the team watched as the two children made their way through the snow before Hinata pointed to the Hyuga compound that Boruto was accustomed to.

"…Uh….over here…" Hinata pointed to her house as Naruto stopped before letting her go.

"Oh okay." Naruto said as he scanned over the large, traditional architectural design of the Hyuga household as there was a huge sign with the name "Hyuga" etched into the center of the building. He looked at Hinata before turning back to the compound with a confused expression on his face.

"You live in a big house like this and you're crying?" Naruto asked as Sarada looked at the young boy in confusion.

"Why would he say something like that?" Sarada asked.

"…It's because he probably views rich kids as happy and thriving…." Boruto muttered, thinking back to his comment he made to his mother about how his pain of having his father being too busy being as comparable to the type of childhood he assumed he thought his father had. How could he have been so naïve and inconsiderate? No…things were different now.

"I don't have anyone but I never cry…" Naruto's eyes softened as the scene shifted again as Team Konohamaru saw the scene of Naruto crying to himself in his apartment.

Hinata looked at Naruto in amazement as she couldn't believe a young boy her age could be all alone but yet so…cheerful?

"Never! Anyways, just remember, you're never alone." Naruto grinned as Hinata was speechless. Just…who was this eccentric boy?

"Later!" Naruto waved as he ran off but before Team Konohamaru could fully digest the scene the scene shifted to a place they recognized as the Ninja Academy although not as modernized as the one today. Although the Team were quick to note that it was still winter time due to the snow in the area though it was clearly daytime, preferably in the morning due to the position of the sun in the sky.

"Okay….these scene changes are gonna take a lot to get used to…" Boruto muttered.

"You're telling me." Sarada shook her head as Mitsuki raised an eyebrow at the appearance of the Academy.

"It sure is crazy seeing how different things look in comparison to now." Mitsuki observed before noticing a familiar kid on a swing set etched on the outside of the Academy as he slowly swung, backwards and forwards.

"Hey, it's dad!" Boruto pointed.

"He looks so…lonely…." Sarada frowned at the sight of the young boy and his downcast expression.

"…It's not like any of those parents will let him around their children." Boruto sighed.

However the sound of voices of other children quickly got Team Konohamaru's as well as the young Naruto's.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked, voicing the thoughts of the team of genin.

"Hey that's mom!" Boruto pointed, seeing her surrounded by three young boys, one was chubby, another had a gap in his teeth with a red hat and other looked like some deranged horse. They looked no older than seven or eight.

"If you're really a Hyuga then show us your Byakugan!" The boy with gapped teeth jeered at Hinata.

"But if you're gonna, don't look at us." The chubby boy scoffed.

"Yeah, your eyes are creepy!" Horse-Face shuddered at the thought of seeing veins around someone's eyes like he heard. Obviously, he never looked in a mirror.

"I bet you're some kind of monster, aren't you?" Gap Teeth snickered.

"Yeah a Byakugan monster!" The chubby boy laughed as his two friends joined in as Hinata was reduced to the point of tears much to Team Konohamaru's repulsion.

"Hey you damn brats! Leave my mom alone!" Boruto yelled out with his face red in anger as he was about to show those brats who was really a monster, remembering all the warmth, love and comfort his mom would give him and for her to be bullied by kids who looked like the asses of baboons was nothing short of infuriating.

Mitsuki was quick to hold him back, "Remember, it's a memory." Mitsuki reminded his friend who growled in frustration.

"Seriously? Kids close to ten picking on a toddler? Once again, where are the parents?" Sarada shook her head in disgust.

However, none were more repulsed than Naruto as he growled before quickly jumping off the swing. If there was one thing Naruto didn't tolerate was bullying, especially on the weak.

"Hey! Cut it out!" Naruto yelled, just as pissed at Boruto. The bullies then gave Naruto their undivided attention, ignoring Hinata for now.

"That's right dad, defend yo' woman!" Boruto smirked.

"Look it's the shrimp!" Gap tooth laughed.

"Who are you?" Horse face snorted at Naruto as he ignored their laughter.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki. And I'm the future Hokage!" Naruto vowed as Boruto and Sarada cheered on Naruto.

"Damn straight!" Boruto pumped his right hand in his left fist.

"You tell those brats!" Sarada smiled, already knowing the events of what would happen in the future.

However, the bullies were far from impressed. In fact, they looked ready to double over in laughter.

"Oh the future Hokage, huh?" Gap Tooth scoffed.

"C'mon, what're you, stupid?" Horse Face snorted as Naruto suddenly put his hands together for a hand sign.

"I'll show you guys! Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto asked, as both Team Konohamaru and the bullies' eyes widened in alarm.

"Wait, did he just say Shadow Clone Jutsu?" Sarada asked.

"And he's only three. I knew it was dad's specialty but he could use it as a baby?" Boruto asked, amazed yet excited to see the brats who bullied his mom get their just desserts.

However as the two poofs of smoke erupted, the clones were well….different than what everyone, especially Naruto expected….

The two clones were practically the size of ants.

"Come at me! Bring it!" One "Shadow Clone" yelled, raising a fist. Although his voice was how Naruto would sound if he got high off of helium.

"Ya know!" The second clone, raised his fist, ready to fight as well.

Team Konohamaru and the bullies stared blankly at the scene for a couple of seconds.

"…Oh man dad…that's really…uncool…." Boruto blinked, slightly disappointed he wouldn't see the bullies get their asses handed to them. Even Sarada who idolized Naruto couldn't disagree.

"Well…remember he is only around three here." Sarada tried arguing in defense of Naruto as Mitsuki only laughed at the scene.

However none were more embarrassed than Naruto as a drop of sweat trailed down his face.

Having grown tired of Naruto's BS, gap tooth ran over to Naruto who was still preoccupied with the pitiful state of his clones to notice him coming before slamming his fist dead into Naruto's nose. Blood leaked from Naruto's broken nose as he fell back, clearly losing consciousness.

"Oh…that's gonna leave a mark." Sarada winced as Boruto growled, not liking his dad being relegated to a punching bag.

"I already know Mitsuki, don't even say it." Boruto looked down in annoyance as Mitsuki could only shake his head for his friend.

"Heh, I took him down in one punch!" Gap Tooth jeered as the all noticed the red scarf along Naruto's neck. Like typically bullies did, they removed it from Naruto's unconscious form before all three grabbed it before stretching it.

Boruto's eyes then widened as he remembered Hinata and Naruto telling them that how they got together was helped by the presence of a red scarf, something they likened to being a red thread of fate.

"Future Hokage, right? You think you're so cool, wearing this ugly red scarf!?" Gap tooth smirked as he and his friends did everything to ruin it such as stretching it to where the elasticity was stretched, stretching it up and down a tree, pulling the threads and even going as far as to stomp on it.

"These brats are really pissing me off…." Boruto growled, upset how a gift that would eventually lead to his parents eventually was being treated with so little care.

"Once again I ask, where are the parents?" Sarada demanded more than asked, annunciating the last four words.

Eventually the bullies grew bored before leaving.

"Future Hokage my butt!" All three brats laughed away.

However, Team Konohamaru was touched that rather than leaving Naruto alone, Hinata chose to stay by his side until he would eventually wake up.

"That's mom for you. As nice as always." Boruto smiled as Sarada and Mitsuki smiled in agreement.

Ironically after they left was when Naruto awoke.

"Hey wait, hold on! This time I'll do a super duper jutsu and…" Naruto looked up with his right eye swollen for the three bullies only to find out they dipped.

"Ugh…." The feelings of both pain and embarrassment running through Naruto's mind as he slumped to the ground rubbing his swollen right eye.

"Are you okay?" Hinata asked, looking at Naruto in concern.

"…Yeah….it's nothing I'm used to it…" Naruto replied, a bit softly and a little close to tears as Team Konohamaru stared somberly at the young boy.

"He shouldn't have to be 'used to it'…" Boruto sighed sadly remembering how his childhood was so innocent compared to his father's.

"Oh…your scarf…those three boys they…." Hinata showed Naruto what was left over from his scarf as he sighed before waving her off.

"…I'm really sorry…" Hinata apologized, feeling empathy for Naruto. If only she was stronger, he wouldn't have gotten his butt handed to him.

"Nah forget it." Naruto smiled at the girl, reassuring he had no bad blood towards her.

"Yeah it's not your fault kids are total asshats mom."Boruto smiled as Sarada and Mitsuki nodded, although Boruto would never use the word "asshats" around his mom. He found out the hard way what would happen if he swore in front of his mother….

Naruto was about to run off before Hinata stopped him.

"…U-um…I…I just wanted to say thank you very much…." Hinata bowed to Naruto as he looked at the girl in confusion.

…Was someone actually thanking him for being around?

Having gratitude shown to him was something that really touched him as tears started to fill his eyes. But he wouldn't show his feelings so upwardly so he smiled off his feelings.

"See ya!" Naruto waved to Hinata before going off.

Team Konohamaru didn't miss the look of admiration and adoration Hinata sent to Naruto's retreating back before the memory steadily darkened as the fog enveloped the team.

* * *

Here's the third chapter for you guys! Now it was a lighter memory compared to the previous one dealing with Minato and Kushina's deaths however it wasn't as light since Team Konohamaru are seeing the beginning stages of Naruto's harsh treatment from the villagers although this was coupled with him meeting the Third Hokage in addition to his first encounter with Teuchi from Ichiraku and finally meeting his future wife, Hinata.

With Naruto's childhood, I've noticed how most FF stories tend to portray the villagers actually beating on Naruto but can someone show me where that was explicitly shown? Because I'm sure that was never a thing, even in the fillers and also, would Naruto be so loyal to a village that actually physically abuses him?

And as a small fun fact, the whole bit with Teuchi and Naruto was from a section of the Konoha Hiden: The Perfect Day for a Wedding novel! So when you think about it, Naruto's obsession with Naruto is actually quite sad...BUT that's why we as a fandom universally love Teuchi since he was one of the few who genuinely accepted and showed Naruto kindness before he became the cultural icon he is today so YAY FOR TEUCHI! ^_^ I might have some ramen in honor of him for lunch today XP

And as an even bigger and more fun, fun fact, Naruto's first few years in the village actually weren't quite that bad. Actually the villagers had no idea he was the Jinchuuriki of Kurama and the reason they found out was because of Danzo. Yep, you read that right, Danzo was the one who leaked out the secret of Naruto's connection with Kurama to the villagers as shown in the Itachi Epilogue Novels. So if you readers hate Danzo, there's some extra fuel for you guys!

And I hope you all liked the NaruHina moments I had in the chapter! Given that Boruto would wanna know how his parents met, I decided this chapter would be perfect to put those exact moments in!

Either way, next chapter is when things start to get interesting for our favorite Orange Hokage and you can all expect Chapter 4 of "A Hero's Journey" to come out next Wednesday, January 1st so look forward to that as a New Year's present from me to you all! ^_^

Until the 1st of the next year, please enjoy the chapter and please let me know your thoughts on this chapter and the story as a whole so enjoy the last four days this year has until we hit a new decade!

Later, guys! ^_^


	4. The Ninja Academy

Happy New Years, everyone! =D

Now like I said in my special note that was uploaded last Wednesday, I'm sorry again I had to delay the chapter BUT at least I let you guys know with a special notice chapter rather than just leaving you guys hanging! Hopefully this chapter made up for the wait at least? ^_^

And after about a day or so, I'll replace that special notice chapter with this chapter since this chapter is the REAL chapter four.

Also, you guys know something? With all the traction this story has gotten, I'm convinced this story could honestly go somewhere! Thank you all so much for the support and here's chapter four for you lovely readers! Hopefully you all enjoy this chapter like the rest! ^_^

* * *

"So that's how dad met mom…" Boruto mused as he and his teammates stood in the pitch black void, patiently waiting for the next memory to start.

"Should've guessed they'd be childhood sweethearts." Sarada giggled, the idea of childhood sweethearts were nothing short of adorable. They reminded her of the romance novels she would read on the Web in addition to the cheesy romance books that were on the bookshelf in her room.

"Although, who would've guessed Lord Seventh's love for ramen was caused by…darker means…." Mitsuki said as Boruto and Sarada lost their lighthearted moods which were replaced by angst and sadness.

"I can't believe those guys were cold-blooded enough to actually turn away a kid and nearly let him starve….." Boruto looked at his palm before clenching it in rage.

"I know….all because of something out of his control. It's not like this is some universe where Lord Seventh can transform into a fox or anything like that. It wasn't his fault." Sarada said.

"I just wonder how dad was able to deal with all of that…god knows I probably couldn't….Although…now I understand why dad loves ramen so much. Because…it reminds me of one of the first people to ever show him kindness." Boruto looked down.

"Yeah, like comfort food." Sarada added.

"When we get outta here, I'm gonna have dad visit Teuchi. He no doubt deserves it after everything…" Boruto looked up with a smile as Mitsuki and Sarada smiled their agreement.

"I believe that sounds splendid." Mitsuki smiled.

Before anyone could say anything, the bluish-purple fog surrounded the three before they suddenly found themselves in Naruto's room as he stared at the ceiling in his room, looking deep in thought.

Before anyone could ponder why he was donning such an expression, the doorbell rang.

"Might I come in?" The voice of Hiruzen asked from being in front of the front door.

"What's up?" Naruto asked as Hiruzen handed him a small, brown envelope.

"This is for this month's living expenses. Make sure to use it wisely." Hiruzen said before taking his leave. Or least starting to as Naruto looked deep in thought before he decided to speak up.

"Hey old man….why don't I have a mom or dad….?" Naruto asked as Team Konohamaru's hearts all went out to the young boy. Especially with how they remembered how exactly Minato and Kushina died….

"Oh dad…" Boruto looked away as Hiruzen stared at the boy, his eyes full of sympathy before exhaling.

"Haven't we went over this, Naruto? They were casualties in the Nine Tails incident, five years ago." Hiruzen stated as Naruto frowned as his eyes, teared up.

"That's kinda cold…" Sarada muttered as Boruto and even Mitsuki nodded.

"Yeah I know…that's what you always tell me but I always see every other kid and they have a mom or dad….and I just wanna know…who were my parents!? And what were they!?" Naruto demanded as Team Konohamaru couldn't stop their feelings of empathy for the young boy. If anyone deserved to know about their parents, it was definitely Naruto.

"It doesn't matter. It won't bring the dead back." Hiruzen said before taking his leave, much to Team Konohamaru's shock.

Naruto frowned as he followed the old man outside before taking a quick glance as he watched Hiruzen walk off.

"That…was kinda cold…." Sarada said.

"'Cold' is an understatement. Why wouldn't Old Man Hiruzen tell dad about his parents!? I mean what's the big deal?" Boruto asked.

"It's because of the fact that due to his moniker as the man who killed over one thousand ninja, he was hated, primarily with the Hidden Cloud and Stone Villages. If ninja from those villages ever found out the 'Yellow Flash' of all people had a child in the Hidden Leaf Villages, they would come over and try to assassinate Lord Seventh." Mitsuki explained much to Boruto and Sarada's horror.

"But how could they do such a thing!? Dad is totally innocent in all of this!" Boruto yelled, disgust evident in his tone.

"Because such bloodshed is the life of Shinobi." Mitsuki replied, not liking the harsh reality as much as his teammates didn't.

The scene suddenly shifted to Naruto walking in the village.

"These scene shifts are gonna take a while to get used to." Boruto muttered.

"Shh!" Sarada shushed her teammate, wanting to hear more of the memory.

"I wonder….who my parents are….maybe…someone can answer me?" Naruto asked as he ran to some random passerby ninja.

"Hey! You two?" Naruto waved as they both shot him disgusted looks.

"It's that kid." One of the ninja, a kunoichi whispered to her teammate.

"Ugh! Why does Lord Hokage allow something like him to be in our village? Just ignore him like the pond scum he is." The other ninja, possibly her love said as the two turned away from Naruto.

Naruto looked hurt by the comments before making his way to other villages, hoping maybe someone would give him the time of day for once.

"Hey guys! Can you tell me who my parents were?" Naruto waved to a random group of women having lunch in a cafe who glared at him.

"Guys! He's here!" One of the women whispered.

"Just ignore him and maybe he'll go away!" Another of the women whispered back.

"Yeah sounds good." The third of the women said as they turned away from the young Naruto, hoping he would get the memo to leave them alone.

Looking down, Naruto did so, much to Team Konohamaru's anger.

"Those bastards…." Boruto clenched his fists in rage.

"And he saved them all." Sarada wished she could give these ignorant villagers a piece of her mind but alas she couldn't due to this only being a memory of events that already happened.

Naruto then turned to a group of men laughing and sitting in a restaurant before they noticed Naruto and gave him death glares. Ignoring their looks, Naruto walked up to them.

"Hey you guys, can you tell me who my parents are?" Naruto asked as one man gave the young boy a look similar to the look a wolf would give to someone who threatened its pack.

"You think someone like you has parents? Get out of here!" One of the men said as he chased Naruto off before Naruto stalked his way across the village where he lowered his head as several derogatory comments were heard through his ears.

"I can't believe he's even in the village."

"I know! I love Lord Hokage but he's foolish for letting that little monster stay in our beloved village."

"Right? What the hell is he thinking? Trying to cozy up to us? I don't trust him."

"Nobody does. I heard Teuchi Ichiraku actually lets him eat in his restaurant!"

"He does? Well let's just boycott by not going into his restaurant!"

"Good. His ramen's crap anyways."

"You assholes! Grandpa died for you all!" Boruto yelled out, wishing he could smack these asshole villagers silly. How dare they mock the sacrifice of his grandfather?

"Boruto, remember." Mitsuki reminded his friend as Boruto turned his head.

"I know, 'it's just a memory'." Boruto sighed as the young Naruto looked despondently to the ground before sitting by a nearby tree.

"Why…..why is everyone so mean to me? They treat me like I'm some sort of monster or something…." Naruto sighed.

"You have no idea…" Sarada frowned, wondering how Naruto ever found out he was the container of the Nine Tails.

It was then Naruto spotted two cans of paint with paint brushes lying nearby. The young boy looked at the items blankly before a mischievous smile adorned his features.

Sarada immediately tensed, recognizing that look as one that Boruto would have before doing something either reckless, stupid or overall immature.

"What is that boy thinking?" Sarada grimaced as the scene shifted slightly.

When the team came to, they noticed various buildings in the village were covered with all sorts of graffiti and paint with turs and other obscenities sketched on the Hokage stone faces.

Team Konohamaru stared at the scene blankly before Boruto literally fell on his butt laughing.

"Oh my god! That's hilarious!" Boruto laughed at Mitsuki chuckled.

"How amusing." Mitsuki chuckled in good nature as Sarada was the only one not laughing.

"So that's…where Boruto gets it from…" Sarada groaned as she face palmed, eternally grateful that Naruto grew out of this immature behavior.

To say all the villagers were pissed was an understatement.

"What the hell!?"

"Who did this!?"

"I wanna wring the neck of whoever did this!"

As the villagers all scrambled amongst themselves, literally tripping on themselves to find the culprit, childish giggling got their attention as they turned to the source, Naruto Uzumaki, covered in paint, sporting a crap eating smirk.

"Look at me! I'm Naruto Uzumaki and one day I'll be Hokage!" Naruto proudly declared as he jumped from the building he was on.

"Is he crazy!?" Sarada yelled, amazed that he would jump off a building when he was only five years old as Mitsuki held her back.

'Something tells me I'll be reminding these two of how these are only memories a lot…' Mitsuki smiled in amusement.

"Damn right, dad!" Boruto literally wiped a tear from his eye as he smiled, happy to see some humor after all the angst he was forced to see.

However the scene suddenly shifted again to a Leaf Village once again covered in paint and graffiti.

"Okay Boruto, you're right, these scene changes are a bit overwhelming…" Sarada shook her head, hoping she wouldn't go dizzy at the end of all these memories.

"Told ya!" Boruto smirked as they all turned to the sight of several adults chasing after something or rather someone.

The culprit? A Naruto who looked older than the one in the previous memories he had seen, rather than being a young toddler, he looked around seven years of age.

"After him!"

"You're not getting away this time!"

Naruto snickered before vanishing behind a bush, as the villagers lost sight of him.

"Hehe, serves them right." Naruto smirked.

"I wonder…if they all hate Lord Seventh, then why's he poking the bear and painting all over the village and pranking them? Not that they don't deserve it." Sarada questioned as she didn't understand his logic.

Rather than Mitsuki speaking, surprisingly it was Boruto who answered.

"You saw how they just ignored him, right? Well the reason he did all that crazy stuff was because he did it to get noticed…when you're lonely and ignored, any attention is good attention…even if it's bad…" Boruto looked down, remembering how he wrongly thought how his father ignored him and his family as he realized his feelings were nothing compared to how his father may have felt.

"…Oh…I see…I guess I can understand…at least somewhat…." Sarada looked down as she even used to blame herself for Sasuke not being around.

"Pranking again, Naruto?" Hiruzen's voice made Naruto jump up in fright.

"Oh crap, Old Man!?" Naruto nearly fell back as Hiruzen sighed, clearly exasperated.

"Haha dad's gonna give Old Man Hiruzen even more gray hairs." Boruto snickered.

"Oh yeah, like you do with Lord Seventh?" Sarada smirked as Boruto glared at her.

"Hey!" Boruto yelled, although his yells went ignored.

"In either case, I wanted to give you this." Hiruzen handed Naruto a small slip of paper.

"Oh? What's this?" Naruto raised an eyebrow as he accepted the paper.

"Your Ninja Academy acceptance forms. Starting tomorrow, you will begin attending the Ninja Academy!" Hiruzen declared as Naruto's eyes widened as his mouth curved upwards into a smile.

"A ninja!?" Naruto's eyes sparkled as Hiruzen laughed at the young boy's enthusiasm as he took a draft of his tobacco pipe.

"Indeed. Be at the Ninja Academy by Eight tomorrow morning." Hiruzen smiled as Naruto glanced down at the paper before throwing it to the sky with a cheer.

"Finally! My dreams of becoming Hokage are gonna come true!" Naruto cheered.

"Damn right they will." Boruto smirked before the scene changed to where tons of children stood in front of a building with the Kanji for "Academy" etched in the upper part of the building. However, Team Konohamaru noticed that it looked smaller than the Academy they were familiar with.

"Brings back memories." Boruto mused.

"Although hopefully Lord Seventh doesn't end up crashing into the Hokage tower like you did." Sarada snorted with a smirk as a tick mark appeared on Boruto's head.

"Hey! If I didn't do that, Denki would've been turned into mush!" Boruto argued as Sarada rolled her eyes.

"Excuses." Sarada scoffed as Boruto growled at her.

"You…." Boruto was about to tell Sarada off as Mitsuki noticed a certain blonde spike of hair.

"He's over there!" Mitsuki pointed as the Team noticed there were younger versions of all the parents of their friends.

"Hey, look over there! It's Shikadai and Chocho's dads! And there's also my mom!" Boruto pointed.

"And Mister Kiba and Shino-Sensei." Mitsuki added.

"And there's mom and dad over there!" Sarada pointed out with a wide smile, never believing she would ever be able to see her parents so young. They were so adorable!

"Hey look! Uncle Sasuke's hair is different!" Boruto pointed out as the group noticed his hair was slicked down but rather spiked up similar to the butt of a chicken.

"His hair looks like a chicken's butt." Mitsuki bluntly stated.

"Hey!" Sarada yelled, although she had to admit, she slightly preferred this hair style over her dad's current one. Maybe when they get out of here, she would ask Sasuke why he styled his hair differently.

"And there's Inojin's mom." Mitsuki also noted before the group finally came across Naruto.

Naruto looked with a saddened faraway expression at all the kids being wished "Good Luck!" by their parents.

"Oh Poor Lord Seventh…." Sarada sighed sadly as Boruto looked down, suddenly feeling grateful at how Hinata was all on him during his two week suspension following his disastrous Academy appearance.

"Thank you all for coming and joining the Ninja Academy. Now while the road to becoming a ninja will not be a cakewalk by all means, it will all be worth it in the end as your children become full-fledged Shinobi of the Leaf Village! Now classes will officially begin if your children will follow one of my top teachers into the building." Hiruzen gestured over to a young Iruka Umino.

"Greetings to meet all of you. I am Iruka Umino and I will be your homeroom teacher. Now if you all will follow me, we can get started." Iruka bowed to everyone with a smile as Team Konoahmaru noticed that he looked significantly younger than the one they knew.

"Man…what happened?" Boruto asked.

"It's called aging." Mitsuki laughed as everyone followed Iruka into his classroom as everyone took their respective seats.

However….Team Konohamaru were quick to notice how no one was willing to sit with Naruto and he was forced to sit by himself.

"Dad shouldn't be sitting alone like that…" Boruto said as Sarada shook her head.

"I have no doubts every kid in there were warned to stay away from Naruto." Sarada spoke with disgust evident in her voice.

"Thank you all for coming to the Ninja Academy. Now like Lord Hokage said, the road to becoming a ninja will be full of long, vigorous days of work and learning but it will all pay off in the end." Iruka smiled as reactions across the room ranged from being excited to awestruck to bored to flat out indifferent.

"Now if you'll all open your books to chapter one, the lesson will begin…" Iruka instructed as everyone did so…or rather….mostly everyone as Naruto actually ended up falling asleep before the lesson began.

"Haha what the heck!?" Boruto laughed, imagining that this was the future Hokage of the Leaf.

"I see Master Iruka is still as unexciting as he is in the future." Mitsuki laughed as Sarada glared at the two.

"Guys!" Sarada glared at her friends, not believing that anyone could be so rude.

Apparently Iruka agreed with her as Naruto was nicely woken up with a textbook to his skull.

"Ouch! What the hell!?" Naruto rubbed his sore noggin as Iruka scowled at him.

"Nice nap?" Iruka glared at the boy as this spectacle ignited laughter from some of Naruto's peers.

"Ugh…." Naruto groaned, ignoring the laughter as Iruka cleared his throat, not wanting to lose his cool with some kid.

"Same time again tomorrow, everyone. See you then!" Iruka said as everyone took their leave as Naruto walked out of the classroom through the village before he was suddenly stopped by a certain pinkette.

"Um, excuse me?"

Naruto turned around to see a young Sakura Haruno holding a small brown envelope in her hands.

"Mom." Sarada beamed as Boruto chuckled as Mitsuki looked just as interested as Sarada was.

"Before the fame." Mitsuki joked.

"Y-yeah?" Naruto asked as a small blush adorned his cheeks as Team Konohamaru could have sworn they heard his heart beating fast like a pair of drums.

"I think dad has a crush!" Boruto laughed in good amusement although he was shocked his dad didn't have a crush on Hinata.

"I wonder how come dad and mom aren't as close in this time period?" Sarada pondered although she admitted she found Lord Seventh's feelings towards her father just as amused as Boruto did.

Noticing his look, Sakura rolled her eyes before handing him the brown envelope in her hand.

"Here's your Ninja Academy information that you dropped outside." Sakura gave Naruto a small smile as he blush deepened before managing to find his voice.

"O-oh, t-thank you!" Naruto smiled like a dork as Boruto snorted.

"What a dork!" Boruto guffawed as Sarada snorted.

"Like how you look with Sumire." Sarada scoffed as Boruto blushed just as red as Naruto is.

"Hey! Not like that!" Boruto was quick to retort as he went ignored.

Sakura shook her head before taking her leave.

"Of course. See you later." Sakura said as she turned to go off and find Ino as Naruto grinned.

"She's pretty…I like her! And she has a nice smile….." Naruto grinned.

"Oh Lord Seventh." Sarada shook her head, literally knowing how things would end.

"Maybe in another universe." Boruto laughed as Naruto made his way across the village, ignoring the stares he received.

"I wonder….how can I get strong…maybe….." Naruto muttered as he noticed a certain shop open in the village.

"Where is this place?" Sarada asked.

"It looks like some sort of bookstore." Mitsuki noted as he pointed at the different magazines as Naruto walked inside, hoping he wouldn't get shoved or pushed out. Thankfully, it looked like the man was asleep as Naruto came across several men too busy drooling over one magazine to hatefully glare at him like they normally would.

"What the hell?" Boruto raised an eyebrow as Sarada groaned.

"Oh gross." Sarada rolled her eyes, having a disgustingly good idea of what the men were ogling over.

Naruto looked to seeing the men look at several naked women posing in suggestive, proactive positions.

Boruto looked like he had second hand embarrassment while Sarada looked as if she wanted to smack the men silly as Mitsuki merely raised an eyebrow.

"Humans really are strange things." Mitsuki noted as neither Boruto nor Sarada could find it within themselves to disagree with the synthetic human.

Noticing similar magazines on the floor that the men were looking at, Naruto donned a mischievous gleam in his eyes before snatching them and making his way to where he was in a forest outside of the village.

"…I…think I know what dad might be planning…." Boruto sighed, remembering the "contest" he and Konohamaru had during his trip back to the past.

"What do you mean?" Mitsuki asked.

"….Just watch." Boruto shook his head as Naruto studied different pages of the dirty magazine as he looked at several women, either nearly naked or clad in bikinis.

"Okay so those men got weak at their knees by seeing a pretty girl…why not have a jutsu where I can knock them out with one!?" Naruto grinned as a blank silence radiated across the spectators of the memories.

"….Is…he…serious?" Sarada deadpanned, wondering if this was the same Lord Seventh she respected and admired.

"Dead serious." Boruto confirmed, shaking his head as Naruto came across one woman that was a brunette, wearing a cat like bikini suit.

"Transformaiton Jutsu!" Naruto yelled as he transformed into a chunky version of that woman.

….

"Well that was a fail…" Boruto muttered as Sarada smacked him.

"Don't talk like you were actually looking forward to that!" Sarada chided as Naruto deactivated the jutsu.

"Okay! Again!" Naruto yelled as this time, he transformed into a starved version of that girl.

"She looks like a starving dog in the desert." Mitsuki noted, just as disappointed as Boruto.

"Guys!" Sarada yelled, hating how she seemed to be the straight man in her team of insanity.

It continued on and on as Naruto tried transforming into the beautiful girls that were in that magazine only to continue to fail….

Eventually the scene shifted to early the next morning as the Team watched as Naruto quickly dressed himself in the orange and blue tracksuit they were familiar with seeing in old pictures of Naruto as he locked his door.

"A brand new day means a brand new day of fun!" Naruto snickered.

"Oh god…." Sarada cringed, wondering what his idea of "fun" meant. Boruto was right, the younger version of Lord Seventh was indeed more reckless and immature than the one she knew.

Eventually Naruto got to class before firstly starting to change the time of the classroom clock by adjusting the hands on said clock before he then pulled out a bottle of slick oil as he lathered it all over the floor.

"Naruto, what are you doing!?" Sakura asked as Naruto snickered.

"I'm gonna play a prank on Iruka-Sensei! Duh!" Naruto laughed as Boruto sighed in disappointment.

"Seriously?" Boruto asked.

"Right!" Sarada said, amazed that she and Boruto seemed to be on the same page for once.

"I did a way cooler prank!" Boruto shook his head as Sarada's jaw clenched.

"Why do I have such an idiot for a teammate?" Sarada sighed as Ino put a hand on Sakura's shoulder.

"Sakura, just leave him." Ino shook her head as Naruto's eyes widened.

'So Sakura's her name…' Naruto made a mental note to remember her.

"Poor sap, you can tell he has a thing for her!" Boruto snickered.

"Too bad we know how that ends." Mitsuki joked as his teammates looked at him for his blunt comment.

All Naruto had to do now was wait for Iruka to eventually enter which he eventually did.

It would be hard for anyone to not notice a grease slick in the middle of the room.

"Who did this!?" Iruka demanded as no one seemed willing to answer as most everyone had a grin, knowing Naruto would get his just desserts.

"I got you!" Naruto nearly fell on his butt as Iruka growled, ready to reprimand Naruto.

"Naruto…." Iruka growled as Naruto gave the Chunin a crap eating grin.

"Oh man…" Boruto recognized the look Iruka gave Naruto. It was the look Naruto gave him whenever he did anything stupid or immature.

Before Iruka could do anything, he looked as if he was remembering something important.

Naruto scoffed as he started to make his walk outside of the classroom.

"I know, go stand in the hallway or something." Naruto snickered as Iruka merely shook his head.

"No…go and take your seat." Was all Iruka said as everyone in the class looked shocked, well mostly everyone as Sasuke looked as if he could care less. They all expected Iruka to hand Naruto his ass.

None were more shocked than Naruto as he reluctantly made his way to the lone seat left in the classroom.

"Ugh…this place is so boring!" Naruto yelled, although he was ignored by everyone in the room before Iruka started the ninja lesson.

As Iruka did so, Naruto looked down sadly as he rested his head in his arms.

"I wonder…what's wrong with Lord Seventh?" Sarada asked.

"Like I said, whenever dad's not acting up, no one's paying him any attention…..being yelled at may hurt but being ignored hurts even worse…." Boruto looked down.

"Oh…right…" Sarada also looked down sadly, remembering how she used to feel when Sasuke wasn't around.

"I wonder how Lord Seventh and Master Iruka got as close they got." Mitsuki pondered in thought.

As the lesson continued on, the snores of Naruto got the attention of everyone in the room as Iruka looked outraged as he was going to smack Naruto in the head with his textbook like he did yesterday as Team Konohamaru readied themselves for a repeat of what happened before Iruka donned the same thoughtful expression he wore after getting pranked.

"I wonder, what's that look?" Boruto tilted his head.

"It's like…he's remembering something important…" Sarada noted.

At that exact moment, Naruto quickly awoke, much to the shock of everyone in the room.

"I see Lord Seventh is a light sleeper." Mitsuki laughed.

"Light Sleeper, right." Boruto snorted remembering how easily he was able to wake his dad up the morning of his inauguration.

"Hold on, sensei. Isn't it already time for class to be over?" Naruto asked.

"What?" Iruka raised an eyebrow.

"Just look. See for yourself!" Naruto pointed as the clock was clocked at the time where it was time for classes to be adjourned.

"Oh boy." Sarada scoffed, hoping Iruka wouldn't be easily duped.

"Oh I didn't realize it was so late. Well then, that's everything for today. I'll see you tomorrow." Iruka said as he left the room, closing the room behind him.

"….Don't tell me he actually fell for it!" Sarada face palmed.

"I can tell by the tone of his voice that he didn't but…I wonder….why is he acting that way to dad?" Boruto asked.

"What do you mean?" Mitsuki asked.

"The way he's looking at dad….it's not like those idiots in the village look at him but at the same time…it is…" Boruto's eyes softened as Sarada and Mitsuki realized he was right.

"Given his age…he…could've been around when the Nine Tails attacked and maybe…he lost someone during that hell?" Sarada theorized as Boruto growled.

"If so…that's bullshit! It's not like this is some world where magic exists and dad could transform into a fox demon!" Boruto argued as Sarada had no comeback for Boruto.

"Given what dad told me, him and Old Man Iruka were really close but here it looks like he sort of hates him…." Boruto said as Mitsuki tilted his head.

"I wonder what led them to becoming so close then." Mitsuki questioned as Naruto snickered, not even realizing Hinata was right near him.

"Hey, that's mom!" Boruto smiled, although he was annoyed that his father ignored his mother.

"Why doesn't he just sit by her? She doesn't seem to hold any ill will towards him. Especially after he saved her from those bullies." Sarada said.

"Well because he's dense and thick-headed." Mitsuki smiled.

"Right?" Boruto snickered, much to Sarada's irritation.

"You guys are horrible!" Sarada growled as Naruto made his way to where the clock in the classroom was before fixing the time.

"I knew he'd fall for that old trick! That's another prank down!" Naruto smirked, before the door opened right as soon as he got done fixing the clock, making him fall on his butt.

"Geez dad, if you're gonna prank, at least do it right." Boruto rolled his eyes as Sarada rubbed her temples, not sure how much more of his attitude she could take.

"Boy that smarts….But how did you figure it out so quickly?" Naruto groaned as Iruka looked at him with a look of disappointment.

"Just return to your seat and we'll continue." Iruka simply said as Naruto blinked before looking down.

"Poor dad….." Boruto frowned as Naruto reluctantly did so.

The scene then changed to where everyone stood in a training circle.

"Alright everyone, instead of just introducing yourselves, I want each of you to demonstrate your skills with ninjutsu!" Iruka said as a good deal of the class groaned in annoyance, much to Iruka's amusement.

"Don't worry, you're not going to be graded on this. It's merely so I can assess where you are in your studies and plan how to proceed with your lessons. Okay, we'll start off with a basic clone jutsu lesson, then. And the first up, uh, is Sasuke Uchiha. Wanna give it a shot?" Iruka suggested as Sasuke made his way up as all the girls got uh….excited…for a lack of better terms as they all stared at him with heart eyes and drool pouring from their mouths.

"I see dad was quite popular with the girls." Sarada laughed, noticing her mom's love-struck expression as she ultimately knew how all of this was in.

"Shoulda guessed it. Uncle Sasuke is cool after all." Boruto smirked.

"I can understand Mister Sasuke's feeling." Mitsuki noticed the slightly annoyed expression the younger version of Sasuke had. Mitsuki was considered handsome by the girls in his graduating class too after all.

"You know something? Lord Seventh doesn't seem all that popular with the girls." Sarada noted.

"What's that?" Boruto asked.

"Back when I was searching for dad, he told me how back in the Ninja Academy, he was a top mark student with all the ladies after him." Sarada said as Boruto and Mitsuki stared blankly at her before nearly falling over laughing.

"W-what?" Sarada blushed as Boruto wiped a tear out of his eye.

"It's obvious dad was just talking out of his ass to appear cool to you." Boruto snickered as Sarada couldn't believe someone as valiant as Naruto would lie of all things.

"B-but why would he do that?" Sarada asked as Boruto smirked.

"Isn't it obvious? Because you're his fangirl." Boruto guffawed at Sarada's face which was redder than a tomato.

"F-fangirl?" Sarada stammered.

"You always do talk about how blue Lord Seventh's eyes are. It's almost like you have a crush on him or something." Mitsuki added as Boruto rolled his eyes.

"Hopefully you two don't get married since the last thing I wanna do is call you mom." Boruto scoffed as Sarada glared at the two boys.

"You two are complete assholes." Sarada scowled as she decided to turn her attention back to the memory, just wanting to forget what she said.

"Using clone jutsu is even easier than child's play." Sasuke scoffed.

"I knew dad was awesome even as a kid." Sarada smiled.

"Damn right!" Boruto laughed as not everyone shared their feelings of excitement as a tick-mark appeared on Naruto's head as he looked close to blowing his fuse.

"Why do you have to act so smug!? It's so annoying!" Naruto spat as Sasuke merely scoffed at Naruto's jealous attitude.

"What's your problem!?" Sasuke glared back at Naruto as Sakura and Ino decided to add their two cents in the situation.

"Leave Sasuke alone, you'll break his concentration!" Sakura growled.

"Yeah, you're just in the way loser!" Ino added as Naruto nearly fell to the ground in a comical heap of depression.

"Ouch harsh…." Sarada cringed at how harsh her mom and Auntie Ino were being. Sure Naruto wasn't as cool as Sasuke right here but did they have to call Naruto a loser?

"Not you two Sakura…" Naruto groaned before quickly picking himself back up.

"Okay Sasuke, give it a try!" Iruka said as a wind passed through the training field before Sasuke conjured a hand sign.

"Clone Jutsu." Sasuke said as a clone of Sasuke appeared right across from him.

"Heh that's Uncle Sasuke for you!" Boruto smile, as he realized that even as a kid Sasuke was pretty freaking awesome.

"Sarada, can you tell which one is which?" Mitsuki asked as Sarada smiled before activating her Sharingan.

"None of them." Sarada answered as Boruto looked at his teammate.

"What?" Boruto asked as Sarada pointed at the tree.

"Yeah, he's up there!" Sarada pointed as Team Konohamaru looked to see Sasuke crouched on a tree branch.

"Then again he was considered the Rookie of the Year of his graduating class so it's no surprise he was a prodigy as a child." Mitsuki noted.

"Rookie of the Year?" Boruto and Sarada asked simultaneously.

'It that's the case….why did Uncle Sasuke leave the village to join that Orochimaru guy is he was so strong?' Boruto thought as hopefully these memories would shed light onto why Sasuke would be a deserter.

"Wow…." Iruka noted, not believing someone so young could be so skilled.

"Amazing Sasuke, it's a perfect clone jutsu! I can't tell which one is real and which one is fake!" Sakura praised Sasuke, although her praise went ignored, something that was disappointing to Sarada.

"He coulda said 'thanks'…." Sarada frowned as Boruto snickered.

"Bros before hoes, am I right, Mitsuki?" Boruto smiled as Mitsuki high-fived him.

"Indeed." Mitsuki laughed.

"You two are-"Sarada was about to scold her two teammates before Naruto cut her off.

"Oh please, it's totally obvious to me, this one!" Naruto kicked what he thought was Sasuke which was revealed to be a clone that disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Wrong." Sasuke got away as Naruto scowled at him.

"Blockhead, that wasn't the real Sasuke!" Sakura looked as if she were ready to impale the blonde with her horns if she were an Ox.

"Get away from him!" Ino added as Naruto ignored them, charging at the remaining Sasuke that also disappeared in a poof of smoke as the real Sasuke decided to come down from the tree.

"Geez, dad, no need to act like such a jerk…" Boruto frowned.

"Why is he acting like that?" Sarada asked as Boruto looked down.

"Remember when I pointed out how dad was pulling all those pranks so that people could pay attention to him? Well he hopes that by beating Uncle Sasuke, maybe the admiration and love Sasuke has, will go to him." Boruto pointed out.

"…Oh….right." Sarada sighed as Mitsuki put a hand on her shoulder.

"Just take to heart that he's loved and respected now." Mitsuki reminded his teammate who smiled at him.

"Looks like you picked wrong again." Sasuke appeared in front of Naruto, this time actually smirking as he was aware that Naruto was jealous of him and he found it pretty amusing.

"Oh Sasuke…" Sakura blushed, stricken with the spiky haired Uchiha.

"That's amazing…two clones at once while the real Sasuke moved away unseen…." Iruka noted in awe.

"That's nothing, you should've seen the amount of clones he made when he first started training me." Boruto snorted.

Having enough, Naruto ran to the center of the field, ready to show everyone how much of a badass he was.

"So what!? I can do Clone Jutsu too! Watch this, clone jutsu!" Naruto yelled as a clone actually did appear in a puff of smoke but however unlike the one in the previous memory this one appeared to be his size but he looked deformed and near death.

"Oh dad…." Boruto face palmed, having a good idea of how that was going to end up.

"At least it didn't appear bite-sized this time." Mitsuki smiled in amusement.

"What is wrong with you?" Sarada questioned the son of Orochimaru who didn't answer, of course.

Naturally the entire class found this amusing as nearly everyone laughed. Everyone except for Iruka who had no words, Hinata who looked actually empathetic for Naruto and Sasuke who just appeared irritated that some good for nothing loser like this kid would try to start some nonsense with him.

"That kid can't do anything right!" A kid with a beanie pointed out as Naruto looked down in embarrassment.

To add insult to injury, Sasuke made his way to where Naruto was.

"Look I don't know what your problem is but just stay away from me." Sasuke said as the laughter died down.

"All you're doing is interrupting the lesson and wasting the time of everyone here and becoming an annoyance." Shino said, practically rubbing salt in Naruto's injury.

"Okay that's a bit too much, calling dad an annoyance." Boruto glared at the younger version of Shino, getting a bit tired of Naruto's pariah status in the village.

"He is right though. Him interrupting the lesson with his nonsense is a bit irritating to those who actually want to learn." Mitsuki pointed out as Boruto shook his head.

"Unbelievable…" Boruto scoffed as Sarada put a hand on Boruto's shoulder, showing she agreed with him. Thankfully, not everyone appeared to be against Boruto's mindset as Hinata glared at Shino, making Boruto sigh in relief.

"What?" Naruto glared at Shino.

"He's right. You're not just becoming an annoyance, that's all you've ever been or will be." The same kid with the beanie smirked.

"Who the hell is this loser?" Boruto asked, already not liking this little punk.

"Hey that's cruel Hibachi. But sometimes the truth hurts." Hibachi's friend, Unagi cruelly smirked.

"Okay who the hell do you think you are!?" Boruto was about to give those two punks a piece of his mind as Sarada held him back.

"Boruto, remember, this is just a memory!" Sarada reminded her friend who looked as if he was at his wits' end.

"Listen up, stop ganging up on Naruto." Iruka scolded everyone who was mocking Naruto.

"Thank you, Iruka-Sensei." Sarada covered her heart, relieved that not everyone appeared to be heartless.

"Sensei…" Naruto looked close to tears at Iruka's defense. Was someone finally on his side?

"Leave him alone. Just ignore him." Iruka said, although the tone of his voice was cold, something that made the hairs on Boruto and Sarada's neck raise in apprehension.

"….What…in the…?" Sarada couldn't believe it as Boruto's fist clenched in rage.

"Just ignore him!? Who the hell does he think he is!?" Boruto growled, wishing he could just yell in Iruka's face about what his problem was.

"Boruto…" Mitsuki said. The tone in Mitsuki's voice made Boruto remember this was merely a recollection of events that have already happened.

"….Sorry. But I find it hard to believe this is the same man that dad practically idolizes…" Boruto said, remembering all the stories Naruto and even Iruka would tell him of their time together.

"I wonder what changed…." Sarada put her hand to her chin in thought.

"Either way, we'll find out soon enough." Mitsuki said as even the other students who didn't like Naruto looked taken aback as students like Shikamaru, Choji and Hinata sent sympathetic, concerned looks Naruto's way.

"Alright, everyone. Come on! We still have a class to finish." Iruka clapped his hands.

"Yes sensei…" Practically everyone groaned as they reluctantly left.

All except for Naruto who stayed behind as he clenched his fists in rage.

"Oh dad….." Boruto frowned, wishing he could do something to ease his dad's pain as he attempted to console him as he tried reaching to him only to pass right through him, much to his eternal frustration.

Through the corner of his eye, Mitsuki noticed Hiruzen close by with a solemn expression on his face but chose not to say anything.

The scene then changed to the middle of a forest as Naruto looked sweaty and close to passing out from exhaustion.

"I'll show them! I'll show them all! I'm just as good as they are! Clone Jutsu!" Naruto vowed as he made a hand sign for a clone as he tried conjuring a clone only for the clone to appear dead and pale.

"At least he has guts…" Boruto smiled softly as he knew one day he would make those asshole bullies choke on their words.

"Damn it! Okay one more time!" Naruto tried conjuring a usable clone only to fail again. As they watched Naruto attempt to make a decent clone, Team Konohamaru noticed Hinata watching from a nearby tree.

"Hey there's mom. But why doesn't she go over and say something to him?" Boruto asked.

"It could be that maybe she wants to but something's holding her back." Mitsuki pointed out as Boruto suddenly had an epiphany.

"Then again…when I went back to the past with all that Urashiki crap, she appeared to be shier than she was now." Boruto noted.

"And being shy is the equivalent of having a force shield around someone. They want to help but it's crippling them from doing so." Sarada said as Boruto sighed.

"I guess…but dad should still have someone there for him." Boruto despondently said as eventually Naruto decided to pack it in as he walked through the village before coming across Teuchi who appeared to be closing up Ichirkau for the night.

"What's the matter, Naruto?" Teuchi asked, genuinely concerned for his favorite customer.

"…Oh…it's nothing…" Naruto lied as Teuchi knew Naruto was lying but….he decided not to pressure him. Teuchi knew Naruto would talk about it whenever he was ready.

"I see…want some ramen?" Teuchi smiled at the kid he thought of like a son.

"…I can't pay…" Naruto looked down, remembering how he spent the stipend Hiruzen gave him on all sorts of pranking supplies and dirty magazines. This didn't deter Teuchi as he smiled at the young boy.

"Just pay me back when you're rich. Besides, the stove's on." Teuchi offered as this appeared to raise Naruto's mood somewhat.

"You really mean it?" Naruto smiled for the first time in hours.

"You bet. " Teuchi nodded stilling smiling as Naruto practically jumped in the air.

"Yes! You're the best! Thank you!" Naruto grinned before running in the shop and happily eating the bowl of ramen Teuchi set out for him.

Team Konohamaru smiled at the sight.

"Thank you, Old Man Teuchi…" Boruto made a silent vow to visit Teuchi with his dad when all of this was over.

"God bless that nice man." Sarada nearly wiped a tear away at how one person could be so kind.

"He's definitely human, that's for sure." Mitsuki smiled.

"So what's wrong, Naruto? You seem kind of down." Teuchi noted as Naruto smiled through his ramen.

"It's nothing, I'm the same as always, really!" Naruto grinned although Team Konohamaru stared sadly at the boy.

"Oh dad…you're not fooling anyone…" Boruto frowned at his father.

"Yeah…besides that smile is completely fake." Sarada shook her head as Naruto thanked Teuchi for the ramen before making his way to his apartment where he quickly changed himself into his pajamas before getting in bed. However before doing so, he looked at his hands as his eyes watered while his lips trembled.

"Dad….you're gonna make friends and get super strong and everyone in the village is gonna love you." Boruto teared up as he tried comforting his father only to pass through to him.

"Damn it!" Boruto cursed himself as his teammates could only stare somberly at their friend.

Eventually the next morning came as Naruto made his way to the Ninja Academy although much to Team Konohamaru's surprise, he didn't wear his signature orange and blue tracksuit but instead he wore an orange sleeveless hoodie with a blue short sleeved shirt on underneath and green trackpants.

"Man those clothes sure look cooler than the ones he wears later!" Boruto whistled as Sarada couldn't disagree with Boruto.

"You're telling me. I wonder why he didn't just keep them." Sarada said.

"It could be that he outgrew them." Mitsuki shrugged, not really understanding the hype behind clothes. Then again, he supposed it was a human thing.

"Alright, kids! Today we're hands on with Shuriken Jutsu! First let's have someone demonstrate it for us. Let's see um…" Iruka looked through his clipboard of names as Naruto and Kiba jumped up, demanding for him to let either of them go.

"At least dad appears lively again." Boruto smiled, relieved to see his dad acting like himself again.

"…Who's to say this isn't just some façade for show just to not reveal just how much of pain he's actually in?" Sarada challenged Boruto's assertion who looked down as he took her words to heart.

"You may be right….with how everyone in the village treats him….You may be right…" Boruto frowned in sadness as Mitsuki said nothing.

Ignoring the two, Iruka turned towards Shino.

"Shino, you go ahead." Iruka suggested much to Naruto and Kiba's disappointment.

"Iruka-Sensei, I'm afraid you've chosen the wrong person for this. The Shuriken Jutsu is not something the Aburame Clan practices. For all forms of warfare, we rely almost exclusively on parasitic insects. We house them inside of our-"Shino drawled on as bugs started to slowly creep form under his jacket as Boruto and Sarada looked repulsed at what they were seeing.

"Okay that's just disgusting." Sarada looked as if she were ready to puke.

"I see Shino-Sensei is still as much of a weirdo as he was when he was a kid." Boruto adjusted his collar, feeling uncomfortable.

The other students in the memory shared Boruto and Sarada's disgust, even Iruka who looked as if he were about to have a brain aneurysm.

"Okay Shino, that's enough! Come on, Sasuke. Please just show us the basics." Iruka pointed at Sasuke, hoping he would still be sane by the time all these kids graduated.

Sasuke stepped up, not paying anymind to all the praise he received. Although….Team Konohamaru noticed he looked more…sullen than normal.

"I wonder what's up with Uncle Sasuke?" Boruto raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah…unlike the last time where he looked bored, he looks angry and sad…" Sarada noted as Mitsuki knew the reason why but chose not to say anything.

"He's so full of himself, since when does acting stuck up, make you popular?" Naruto scowled as Shikamaru and Choji looked like they actually agreed with Naruto.

Sasuke readied himself before firing off six Kunai that hit the log with perfect accuracy.

"That's dad for you!" Sarada smiled.

"Wow, Sasuke! Excellent example!" Iruka praised jotting down Sasuke's skills on his clipboard.

"Stuck up and a show off? I can do that too, ya know!" Naruto scoffed, sick and tired of the attention Sasuke was receiving. Why couldn't he get the same attention?

"Alright then, I guess you're up next Naruto." Iruka looked amused at Naruto's declaration.

"Sweet!" Naruto cheered as he made his way to the next available log, scoffing at Sasuke although he didn't get the same praise and excitement Sasuke received.

Naruto readied six Kunai of his own.

"Why do I have a feeling this won't end well?" Boruto dryly asked.

"Because Lord Seventh as a kid was uncool?" Mitsuki laughed.

"You guys are horrible." Sarada shook her head.

"I gotta do this in one throw, that way everyone will finally take notice…" Naruto muttered to himself.

"Go!" Naruto said as the Kunai well…they appeared everywhere but the log as one nearly took Iruka's head off.

"I was right…." Boruto shook his head.

"Maybe we should bet next time." Mitsuki smiled.

"I don't wanna go broke so no." Boruto glared at Mitsuki.

"Just what are you two!?" Sarada yelled, not believing how two people could be so inconsiderate.

Like before, everyone except for Iruka, Sasuke and Hinata laughed at Naruto's dunce.

"What a joke! That was the worst attempt I've ever seen!" Kiba looked as if he was ready to fall on his butt laughing.

Wanting to save face, Naruto fake laughed, "Yeah, I was just fooling around you guys!"

Although everyone knew he was lying through his teeth as the area went completely silent as Naruto realized he really stood alone.

Feeling nothing short of mortification, Naruto ran to Iruka.

"Sensei! You just gotta let me try one more time! You just gotta! I can do this!" Naruto practically begged Iruka who looked undeterred.

"No, that's enough." Iruka gave Naruto a soft smile before turning back to the rest of his class.

Naruto looked as if we were ready to break down into tears that very moment as the Shuriken lessons continued on though Naruto paid them no mind.

As the class walked back to the classroom, Naruto noticed several snickers come across his way.

"What a dummy. He tried going against Sasuke and looked like a complete ass!"

"As if the class loser could beat the class star!"

"These assholes are really starting to piss me off." Boruto clenched his fist.

"Same…if only they could see where Lord Seventh is now." Sarada agreed as Naruto eventually slumped into his desk where he buried his head in his arms, just wanting to sleep his troubles away before the sound of a conversation got his attention.

"Hey did you know that everyone in the Uchiha Clan was killed?" One student asked as a curious Naruto made his way over to where the conversation was. Although he knew better to speak as he knew if he did, he would either get ignored or harshly told to go away.

"Yeah I heard my father talking about it a while ago. They say Sasuke's the only one who survived!" His friend said as Team Konohamaru stared at Sasuke somberly as they were aware of his clan's destruction.

"…..That's right…they sure were…." Sarada looked at her father's bck in concern.

"You know?" Boruto asked as Sarada nodded.

"Yeah…back when I was doing research on the Sharingan, I know the Uchiha Clan were wiped out although I haven't been able to find out why…" Sarada explained.

"Oh…I see…" Boruto said, remembering his father's words at Ichiraku about how the clan were wiped out and that was why Sasuke had deserted the village.

"Do you know?" Sarada asked.

"Yeah…back when I was in the past, dad told me the clan were wiped out though I don't know why myself." Boruto honestly answered, making sure to leave out the fact that Sasuke had left the village.

Mitsuki actually knew the truth behind the Uchiha Clan's Massacre but chose not to say anything, knowing these memories would reveal the truth sooner or later.

Naruto's eyes widened in shock before looking at Sasuke with an expression of…empathy. It seemed that Sasuke was just as alone as he was….

Naruto felt like maybe he should say something but before he could say anything or act, the bell rang, signaling the end of the day as Sasuke left without a word.

Naruto looked slightly down before making his way outside as he noticed Hibachi and Unagi along with a couple of their friends sitting around the swing set where he would occasionally sit down at.

"Oh hey guys! So what's the story, what're you doing this afternoon?" Naruto gave them a wide smile as he crossed his arms behind his head as Boruto and Sarada groaned at the sight of the brats.

"We have to see these guys again?" Boruto groaned, not liking the brats who dared insult his father.

"Can someone gouge out my Sharingan?" Sarada rolled her eyes, sharing Boruto's lack of enthusiasm.

The group shared the same amount of displeasure that Boruto and Sarada had as they all glared at Naruto, hoping to make it very clear they disliked him.

"Nothing with you, get lost, Naruto!" Hibachi scoffed Naruto who continued his smile, though it was obvious to Team Konohamaru he was faking it.

"Aww c'mon, we'll have lots of fun, together. Just let me hang out with you guys, you'll see!" Naruto grinned, putting his hands behind his back as the kids looked unimpressed.

"No way, forget it! And not tonight either for the test of courage." Unagi turned his head to the side as Naruto's face lit up with excitement at the name.

"The Test of Courage!?" Naruto beamed as Hibachi harshly smacked his friend in the head.

"Why'd you have to tell him about that!?" Hibachi spat at his friend.

"Wow! Sounds like fun! Just tell me where to go and I'll be there!" Naruto grinned, eager to have some fun. Too bad, Hibachi and his friends didn't share Naruto's level of enthusiasm.

"We told you, you can't come with us. Got it? And don't try to follow us!" Hibachi said before leaving, his friends following after him as Naruto's cheerful demeanor was replaced with a sad frown.

"What I don't understand is that if they're so mean to him, why does he try hanging out with them?" Sarada asked as she thought if she were in that situation and those brats dared speaking to her like that, she'd definitely make an appointment with them in her fists.

"…Because when you're lonely you're willing to accept any treatment, regardless if it's negative or not…" Boruto looked down, just wondering how much more of this treatment he would have to see his father receive.

"Human beings sure are strange creatures…." Mitsuki said, more to himself than anyone there.

Shaking his head, Naruto left the Academy as he walked through the village, Hibachi's harsh words from earlier ringing through his mind.

"_Got it? And don't try to follow us!"_

Naruto shook off these thoughts with a fox like grin as he stuck his tongue out.

"Hmph, I'll follow whoever I want and I don't care if they don't want me to find out where they're going, I'll find out anyways!" Naruto vowed.

"Oh dad….Somehow I think this isn't gonna go as well as he hopes…" Boruto sighed as the Team noticed several whispers hurled towards Naruto's way as the passing by villagers looked at Naruto with looks of fear and disgust.

"Is that the boy everyone talks about?"

"Which one? Oh yeah that's him…."

Naruto paid these comments no thought as he schemed for a way to make an impact on Hibachi and company.

"This is the perfect chance to pull a prank on them so what can I do to scare them?" Naruto pondered before coming across a local shop with several masks displayed on the outside of it. Naruto marveled in awe at the different masks before the owner of the shop noticed Naruto and gave him a look that Mitsuki could liken to that of bloody murder.

"…I…don't like this…" Sarada muttered.

"Hey you little brat, get outta here!" The man spat before pushing Naruto out of the shop, much to Team Konohamaru's amazement and disgust.

"What the hell!?" Sarada yelled, outraged that a man would put his hands on a child.

"What the hell's that asshole's problem!?" Boruto spat, wishing he could sock this jerk in the face.

Naruto quickly pushed himself up as he glared right back at the mask shop owner.

"Hey, what's the big idea buddy!?" Naruto asked, not understanding what the deal was. He was just looking at a mask and it's not like he was pulling a prank or being disrespectful.

"I don't want you here, you're nothing but a pest!" The shop owner spat, much to the anger and disbelief of Boruto and Sarada.

"A pest!? I'll show you a pest!" Boruto yelled, about to storm over to the old fart to give him a piece of his mind only to have his wrist being held back by Sarada.

"Remember….this is something that's already happened." Sarada scowled, not liking this either as Boruto clenched his teeth before forcibly releasing his grip on her.

"But I wasn't even doing anything! I mean….I was just looking at the masks you have…" Naruto looked down, not understanding why everyone was so vengeful and hateful towards him. Sure he was a bit of a troublemaker but that was only because when he tried being nice, no one paid him any mind so what was he to do?

Mitsuki noticed Shikamaru and Choji walking behind him, just as confused as Naruto was.

"Shikadai's father and Inojin's father?" Mitsuki raised an eyebrow as the surrounding villagers all whispered derogatory remarks as they sent him looks of fear and disgust.

"Here, is this what you want!?" The mask owner growling, throwing the mask at Naruto as the inanimate object hit Naruto in the skull of his head, nearly setting off Sarada's fuse as Boruto's was already lit.

"You bastard!" Boruto yelled as he was having to be restrained by both Sarada and Mitsuki this time.

"Boruto, we understand your anger but you have to remember this is an event that is already happened and no matter how badly we may want to intervene ultimately we can't." Mitsuki reminded his friend who took several deep breaths as that still didn't quell his anger.

"To think…these people are the people Grandma and Grandpa died for….." Boruto spat as Sarada and Mitsuki couldn't find themselves disagreeing with the son of Naruto.

"Now just take it and get lost. And don't come back!" The mask owner spat before going back in his shop.

Naruto looked close to tears as he gingerly picked up the mask before finally noticing the stares and whispered directed at him. Finally having enough, Naruto snapped.

"And what's your problem, huh!? Stop alright…stop looking at me like that!" Naruto yelled, running off as Boruto and Sarada finally noticed Shikamaru and Choji, looking at Naruto's retreating back with eyes akin to sympathy.

Naruto finally made his way back to his apartment room where he then sighed as he slumped down on his apartment bed as the tears threatened to fall but he forced himself not to cry. No….he wouldn't…

"Oh dad…." Boruto felt himself tearing up but remembered Mitsuki's words about how this was an event that already happened.

Naruto shook his head before smiling although it was obvious to anyone watching this smile was forced.

"I'll show up to that test of courage thing and then I'll get friends! One day I really will!" Naruto vowed as Team Konohamaru stared at the child somberly.

"Oh Lord Seventh…no child should feel so…unwanted and alone…" Sarada frowned as the team noticed Naruto grabbing a blanket cover along with the mask he…"received" earlier.

"I wonder what he's gonna do with all of that." Mitsuki pondered as the night slowly came within the memory.

As Naruto stood atop a long pole, behind the moon he put on the blanket cover he took from his room along with the mask, giving the perfect illusion of a demon fox behind a moon.

"Oh man, those brats are gonna be scared shitless! They'll probably pee their pants!" Boruto snickered.

"That would be amusing." Mitsuki smiled as even Sarada couldn't disagree with her friends like she normally would. Those brats deserved everything.

Eventually the Team noticed Hibachi and his friends coming as Naruto snickered behind his mask.

"Time to pay those jerks back!" Naruto smirked as he slowly began growling like a fox.

The kids all looked ready to soil themselves as they practically forced themselves to go forward before finally coming across the "demon fox", making them all scream as they ran off like little girls, much to Team Konohamaru's amusement as they all nearly doubled over in laughter.

"That was priceless!" Boruto fell back on his butt, happy to see Hibachi getting his just desserts.

"Normally I wouldn't laugh at something so immature, but those brats definitely had it coming!" Sarada wiped a tear from her eye from laughing so hard.

"Indeed." Mitsuki laughed, enjoying the moments he would have laughing with his friends.

It was then that Iruka suddenly appeared in the field, Kunai in hand as he no doubt heard about the "demon fox" sighting as Naruto snickered before jumping down and meeting his teacher, no doubt satisfied at what he did.

"Serves them right! Those chickens got scared and ran off, ha! You better get scared or the fox will get you two!" Naruto grinned, looking happier than he did in a long while ever since this particular memory started.

"If only he knew the irony behind his words…" Sarada shuddered, the traumatizing birth of Naruto still fresh in her mind.

"You know…I wonder how dad found out he had the Nine Tails in his belly anyways…" Boruto pondered.

"We'll definitely find out in these memories, that's for sure." Mitsuki answered.

Naruto continued laughing before noticing the look in Iruka's face as he realized Iruka wasn't laughing but in fact looked angry as the look in Iruka's eyes matched the same eyes the villagers wore every time they saw him….

"What's with him? I know you guys said his parents died when the Nine Tails attacked the village but still…" Boruto couldn't understand how adults with common logic could blame a child. Then again even the "common logic" in his question was illogical.

"Look Naruto, don't you realize what you're doing by pulling these pranks all the time?" Iruka questioned trying to push whatever thoughts he had out of his mind as Naruto looked at Iruka with eyes brim and close to tears as his fists clenched tight.

Much to Team Konohamaru's amazement, they saw flashes of all the horrible and dirty looks the villagers would send Naruto.

"…What…is all this?" Boruto blinked, not believing he was seeing what appeared to be a memory inside of a memory.

"It could be that anytime Lord Seventh may be thinking of something during these memories, whatever he's thinking may be broadcast to us." Mitsuki theorized.

"I guess that makes sense…" Sarada shook her head, just wondering what other kinks and technicalities came with all this memory watching.

"There it is again….I don't understand it….everybody…even you….my own teacher….why does everybody look at me like that all of the time!?" Naruto demanded, seemingly nearing his wits' end as even Iruka looked taken aback.

"I'm not just a nuisance or some kind of germ, I'm a person too! I am! I'm Naruto Uzumaki and don't forget it!" Naruto vowed.

"Dad…you are somebody and you will prove it one day…" Boruto smiled at his father as his teammates added their own smiles to the mix.

"Naruto…" Iruka muttered as Team Konohamaru could make out what appeared to be…regret in his eyes.

Naruto on the other hand didn't know what to make of it as he clenched his jaw and teeth tightly before lowering his head where his bangs covered his eyes.

"That's it…I'm done….I'll never go back to the Academy again!" Naruto yelled much to Team Konohamaru's shock.

"He's what!?" Sarada asked in disbelief of what he said.

"Is he seriously giving up on his dream of becoming Hokage!?" Boruto asked, not believing what he was hearing. Surprisingly, Mitsuki decided to speak up.

"With how he was being treated, can you honestly blame him?" Mitsuki asked.

"I know but still…you'd think with his 'never give up mantra' he'd just try to push through no matter what…" Boruto asked as Sarada suddenly made a small realization.

"…You know what I've noticed? Lord Seventh seems more…human…as a child…" Sarada said as Boruto and even Mitsuki looked to her questionably.

"Whaddaya mean?" Boruto asked.

"I'm not sure how to explain but he seems to have a lot more of the basic child needs that every child needs as compared to now when he seems to just brush off everything and take life as it comes." Sarada explains as both boys blinked at her explanation as Boruto looked down.

"Then again…what child wouldn't want a loving home to come to? Especially when he's being treated as a leper over something he had no control over?" Boruto softly asked.

However before anyone could dwell on Boruto's question too much, the scene suddenly shifted to Evening Time in a nearby park as Team Konohamaru watched as Naruto ran in the far back behind a group of kids. They didn't seem to pay too much mind to him as Naruto looked relieved that he wasn't totally being rejected and ignored.

Naruto watched with a smile as the kids ran into their parents' arms but they were immediately pulled away as soon as the parents noticed Naruto.

"What do you think you're doing!? I told you not to play with that boy!" One parent told her children.

"Now come on, let's go." Another parent said as Naruto looked close to tears at their words. Why? Why couldn't he have any friends of his age? What did he do to deserve such treatment?

"Those ungrateful bastards….dad saves their sorry asses on a daily basis by keeping that damn fox in bay yet they spit on the sacrifice that Grandma and Grandpa made!" Boruto spat before punching the ground in rage only to phase right through it, something that came off as a relief to him as he wasn't sure that having a bleeding, aching fist would make his anger go away.

"How can people be so close-minded and ignorant?" Sarada shook her head as she couldn't understand why anyone would want to be leader of a village with such bigoted people.

From a nearby distance, Mitsuki noticed Shikamaru watching the whole scenario and he didn't look pleased one bit and neither did Choji.

"Shikamaru! Come on, let's go!" A man that looked like an older version of Shikamaru called out to his son, snapping him from whatever it was he was thinking.

"Alright dad." Shikamaru replied, a little annoyed for getting called out.

"You too, Choji. We said we'd walk you home so let's go you two, let's move." Shikamaru's father, Shikaku, called out to the future father of Chocho.

"See you, Naruto!" Choji happily waved to Naruto as he stared at the Akimichi in shock as Shikamaru casually strolled by Naruto.

"Later." Shikamaru waved as a small smile came on Naruto's face. At least someone was finally being nice to him.

"Yeah…bye…" Naruto said, although his voice wasn't as strong like it usually was.

"At least Shikadai and Chocho's dads weren't mean to him." Sarada gave a soft smile.

"You know something? Old Man Shikamaru and my dad do seem to be close when they're older…maybe…..they were close when they were kids?" Boruto theorized.

"They definitely seem to have a unique relationship." Mitsuki noted as Naruto's smile at Shikamaru and Choji dropped as he noticed the way Shikamaru held hands with his father. Team Konohamaru knew he was no doubt thinking of the parents he wished he had. If only he knew how they died for him…

Naruto shook his head before leaving the park as he walked with his head down, seemingly lost in his own thoughts before noticing someone sitting down, close by the river side.

"Hey, that's dad!" Sarada pointed as Sasuke was looking to the sea with a forlorn expression. It was like he was there and yet…he wasn't.

"…If his clan was wiped out, it must be what's on his mind…." Boruto looked down as Mitsuki chose not to say anything….having an idea these memories would clear up and explain things for Boruto and Sarada better than he could have.

Naruto gave Sasuke a look of longing and empathy…like he wanted to go down and comfort him and speak to him…let him know how happy he was to find someone that he could relate to….

Sasuke finally noticed Naruto as he gave him a questioning look. In return Naruto sent him a disgusted expression which Sasuke hastily returned before turning their heads away in irritated huffs.

"What the? Why are they acting like that?" Sarada raised an eyebrow, remembering friendly they are to each other in present time.

"Like we said before, Lord Seventh is probably jealous of Mr. Sasuke, that's probably what's keeping him from going down there and approaching him directly." Mitsuki said as Boruto was silent, curious to see to bond between his father and master.

As Naruto started to slowly walk off, Sasuke and his father's eyes caught each other and for a split second, they gave each other a small smile of what appeared to be on mutual understanding and even respect.

Team Konohamaru noticed the gesture and watched with amusement.

"Those guys." Boruto shook his head with a small laugh.

"I can't with these two." Sarada sighed, albeit in good nature as Naruto eventually made his way home as nightfall hit.

Naruto quickly got changed into his pajamas as he got out a cup of ramen noodles.

"Of course it'd be ramen…" Boruto noted although he couldn't find himself to react as dryly as he normally would, given what he had seen from the last memory.

"Is that really all he eats?" Sarada asked in disbelief.

"I guess so…" Mitsuki noticed as he looked to see the cupboards had nothing but ramen to eat for meals such as breakfast, lunch and dinner.

"That's why he's such a squirt then because if he eats nothing but ramen then it's no wonder he's shorter than other boys his age." Sarada noted as Boruto blinked at Sarada's observation.

"Huh, you know now that you mention it, I noticed the same thing when I went back to the past. Dad was smaller than everyone else. Then again, it's not like he had any parents to have him eat right…" Boruto said a bit sadly, thinking back to all the times Hinata would get onto him for not eating healthier.

"It's the same for you." Sarada snorted as Boruto's face turned red.

"Hey! I'm bigger than Denki!" Boruto spat.

"Everyone is so he doesn't count!" Sarada laughed as Boruto looked ready to tell off the daughter of Sasuke as Mitsuki tapped their shoulders.

"Now, now." Mitsuki said, reminding the two of why they were in here.

"Thank you for the food…" Naruto said a little softly as he ate the ramen noodles although…it wasn't with his usual gusto before he felt something wet hit his noodles…

He noticed several wet droppings hit his ramen as Team Konohamaru noticed the cause.

"He's crying…." Boruto noted, feeling like crying himself, remembering the night they slept in the same room.

"And it's pretty obvious why…" Sarada added as Naruto wiped his eyes as he quickly finished his ramen while wiping his eyes before quickly getting atop of his bed but as he did so he stared into nothing but the floor for several minutes before bringing his knees to his head as he was trembling, no doubt crying.

"Dad doesn't deserve this treatment…." Boruto wished he could comfort his father but realized he would just get told by either Mitsuki or Sarada of how this was nothing but a memory.

"I wonder…when Lord Seventh's blessings will begin…" Mitsuki asked as this treatment was getting to even him.

"Hopefully…soon…" Sarada sadly sighed as the night changed to morning as Naruto had cried himself to sleep.

As the morning sun arose, the sound of a doorbell got Team Konohamaru's attention.

"I wonder who that is?" Boruto asked.

"Let's go see." Sarada answered as they were actually able to walk through the door only to see it was Iruka on the other side.

"Old Man Iruka?" Boruto asked.

"What's he doing here?" Sarada asked as she noticed the look in his eyes were different. They looked as if to apologize.

"Given their last encounter, it must be that Master Iruka must feel bad for how he handled Naruto originally and wants to try to start over with him." Mitsuki theorized as his teammates couldn't disagree with that assertion, especially knowing how things would later play out.

"I can see that. After all, it would explain why dad holds Old Man Iruka in such high regard." Boruto said as the doorbell rang again, finally waking Naruto as he walked to the door, slightly annoyed to be woken up so early in the morning.

However, upon seeing Iruka in his peephole, Naruto was anything but relieved. In fact, he looked downright terrified.

"W-what!? Iruka-Sensei? Why is he coming to see me here?" Naruto asked, having no interest in having a repeat in what happened the other night as he quickly got his sandals before literally kicking off his pajamas and grabbing his clothes while snickering as he jumped off his apartment balcony.

"…What was all that about?" Sarada asked.

"Given what happened the other night, Dad probably thinks that Old Man Iruka hates him and is probably gonna repeat what happened again and so he dipped. Not that I could blame him." Boruto shrugged.

"I still am curious about what got them to this point." Sarada asked as Naruto quickly got changed into his clothes as he gave a small yawn while walking across the village.

"I have so much free time since I quit the Academy…" Naruto said to himself before he was quickly surrounded on all sides by Hibachi and his friends as Boruto and Sarada groaned in annoyance.

"These brats again!?" Sarada groaned in annoyance, her displeasure of the brats easily being displayed.

"How much more of this jerk do we have to see!?" Boruto demanded, wishing these kids would leave the village like Sasuke did.

"What do you guys want?" Naruto asked, not in the mood for any of their usual BS. The boys however smiled at him though it wasn't a friendly smile but rather smiles that a cat would give before it ate a mouse, slightly unnerving the team.

"I don't trust those smiles…" Boruto muttered as he didn't trust those brats in general. He knew anything they had in mind, definitely wasn't good.

"Naruto, we all decided you could join our group if you want." Hibachi started as the tension on Naruto's face dissipated into complete happiness.

"Are you serious!?" Naruto grinned as Team Konohamaru looked unconvinced.

"They're planning something." Mitsuki said, as Boruto and Sarada nodded in agreement.

"Of course. But there's just one thing you have to do before you can hang out with us." Hibachi added as Naruto's eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Of course there is." Sarada dryly rolled her eyes.

"Oh yeah? And what's that?" Naruto asked, feeling impatient as he had to do something to get friends? Couldn't he just have them on the spot and then they can do the special thing together as friends?

"Yesterday my dad's patrol unit had a fight with some enemy ninja in the back hills and he said they left the corpses out there. If you can bring back something from one of those corpses, then we'll let you join our group!" Hibachi smiled, a little too sweetly for Team Konohamaru's tastes.

"For real!?" Naruto grinned.

"Yeah!" Hibachi returned the grin, although his was very much forced.

"Alright then, I'll bring back something for sure! You can count on it!" Naruto grinned as Team Konohamaru glared at the kid.

"Why do I have a feeling this isn't as easy or good as it sounds?" Boruto asked as Sarada scoffed.

"Because you can't trust slimy people." Sarada answered as snickers were heard from Hibachi and his gang of brats.

"What a loser! Boy is he in for a surprise. Dad said the enemy ninja might still be out there." Hibachi smirked as Team Konohamaru could hardly believe their ears. How could a kid be so heartless as to send someone to their potential death bed?

"That's so mean! You still mad about how he scared you in the Test of Courage?" Unagi smirked, not really disagreeing with Hibachi.

"Never mind that, did you see the smile on his face? He doesn't have a clue this is all a trick!" Hibachi jeered at Naruto's looming back as Boruto's forehead had a vein pop as his teeth were clenched in pure, unadulterated rage.

"What the hell is wrong with you brats!? How could you send my dad to a place where he could potentially die!?" Boruto was ready to give those brats a piece of his mind. He didn't even hate people like Momoshiki and Urashiki this much.

"Boruto, we understand your anger but like we've said…" Sarada tried reminding her friend as he scoffed.

"Yeah, this is just a memory." Boruto sighed as Mitsuki noticed Shikamaru and Choji watching the entire scene from up above as they too seemed to share the disgust and outrage Team Konohamaru had.

"Never mind that, we should go after Lord Seventh." Mitsuki said as Boruto and Sarada nodded before quickly running after him.

Naruto eventually made his way into the back hills Hibachi and his friends told Naruto about as he ran looking very happy, happier than he's looked in a long time since this particular memory started.

"Finally! I'm gonna have just like everyone else!" Naruto was practically jumping for joy as Team Konohamaru stared sadly at the young boy.

"Dad, they're not the friends you want!" Boruto yelled, chasing after his future father.

"Besides, they're not gonna have your back, Lord Seventh!" Sarada added as Mitsuki was silent as he pictured how the scenario would go if he was able to retrieve something from one of the corpses. Even if he did, he could see Hibachi and his brat friends literally throwing it back in his face before harshly rejecting him again.

"Alright, I gotta find that corpse. I wonder where it could be….I've played here so many times I know the place like the back of my hand but I should've asked the guys exactly where to look…" Naruto stopped looking confused as he didn't know what to before the sound of footsteps got Team Konohamaru's attention.

"Hey, it's Old Man Iruka!" Boruto pointed out.

"Thank god…" Sarada put a hand on her chest in relief as Mitsuki was the only one not smiling.

"Something tells me it won't be that easy to just bring him back…" Mitsuki said as Iruka finally decided to make his presence known.

"Naruto." Iruka called out.

"Sensei?" Naruto questioned as Iruka jumped down from the tree branch he was on.

"Come on, you have to get back to the Academy now." Iruka ordered, pointing in the direction of the village while Naruto looked as if he was fed spoiled milk.

"No! I don't wanna go to the Academy anymore!" Naruto unhesitant refused.

"You don't understand. There's still dangerous enemies out here." Iruka tried reasoning with the young boy who looked unconvinced.

"I won't go back, even if you beg me!" Naruto took a step back in apprehension as Iruka caught this as his eyes softened, slightly catching Naruto off guard but he took that as a look of pity and there was nothing he hated more than being pitied.

"Just do as I say! I'm your homeroom teacher, Naruto." Iruka softly argued back as Naruto scoffed.

"Oh shut up! You only act like a teacher when it's convenient for you!" Naruto spat as Iruka took taken aback with Naruto's words.

"It's not like he's wrong…" Boruto said as his teammates couldn't disagree with what they had seen from him so far.

"You don't get it….You don't know what I go through every day and none of that is gonna change just because I go back to school….I'm always alone….I'm always left out…Look…don't you see nobody wants me around!? Nobody cares!" Naruto spat as the team saw visions of all the times Naruto was either rejected, ignored or excluded from social activities.

"But this time, it'll be different, if I bring something back from out here then I'm finally gonna have some friends who'll accept me! If I do that I won't be alone anymore! And I won't feel like an outsider anymore!" Naruto yelled as the Team saw visions of Naruto being octracized from the villagers such as being thrown out of shops along with parents pulling their children away from Naruto.

"That's why I'm gonna stay out here until I can find something good to bring back!" Naruto yelled at his teacher who gave the boy an expression full of empathy as he looked deep in thought.

"….When you feel rejected, you're willing to do anything to get approval…" Boruto noted as he thought back to the time he cheated in the Chunin Exams with the ninja tool he got from Katasuke.

"Just like when you pulled all those pranks or cheated in the exams….it was to get Lord Seventh to approve you…." Mitsuki stated more than asked as Boruto's silence told his teammates everything they needed to know.

It was then that Iruka opened his eyes again.

"Please listen, I know that you have your reasons but as your teacher I can't just walk away. I won't allow you to stay in such a dangerous area." Iruka tried persuading the young boy who looked down as he looked close to tears.

"….You can't even try to understand my feelings…" Naruto softly said before he donned a mischievous smirk, something that put Sarada on edge as it was the exact same look Boruto gave when he was about to do something stupid.

"Oh no." Sarada cringed as Naruto smirked before donning a hand sign.

"Well then! Sexy Jutsu!" Naruto yelled before transforming into a naked women with smoke covering her delicate areas.

Sarada went pale in embarrassment as Boruto and Mitsuki actually looked amazed.

"Whoa! He actually looks like an alive woman this time!" Boruto noted as Mitsuki nodded.

"A+ definitely!" Mitsuki smiled as Sarada gave a very questionable look to her teammates.

"What is wrong with you two!?" Sarada spat as the jutsu seemed to work as Iruka fell back with a nosebleed.

"It worked!" Sarada yelled, about to have a brain aneurysm as Naruto deactivate the jutsu before leaving with a snicker.

"No wait…" Iruka yelled, his face covered in blood as he tried salvaging some form of dignity though he went ignored by Iruka.

"Ha! Adults are so easy to trick, it's not even funny!" Naruto snickered as Boruto nodded, thinking of how he got Jiraiya's approval when he did his own version of the sexy jutsu.

"And some men can get knocked off their socks if you take enough off." Boruto smirked as Sarada passed a questionable look to her teammate before deciding to just leave it alone, not even wanting to know what he was referring to.

"That little troll! Was he just making all that up!?" Sarada demanded as Boruto shook his head.

"I'm sure he meant every single word he said but when he saw Old Man Iruka's guard lowered, he decided to just take a chance and run with it." Boruto explained as Sarada looked unconvinced with Boruto's reasoning.

"That makes no sense but okay." Sarada shook her head, silently wishing she had different teammates as Naruto stopped running once he was a faraway distance from Iruka. The first thing he noticed was all the blood and leftover weapons scattered everywhere.

"Geesh, when those brats said there was a battle, they weren't kidding." Sarada noticed as Mitsuki said nothing, literally being born into a setting like this.

"These are signs of a fight. That means…it must be close…" Naruto said as he went searching high and low for anything that would be cool enough to take back to Hibachi and his friends, only to come up with nothing.

"It's not here…" Naruto sighed despondently before his stomach gave a low growl making him look down.

"Come to think of it, I haven't eaten anything at all today…" Naruto moaned as his head quickly darted from side to side looking for some food.

"Maybe I can find something out here?" Naruto questioned before taking note of a bird's nest as he quickly climbed up a tree before noticing there were no birds in there, much to his relief, and found several eggs in there.

"Well, it looks like I just found my lunch." Naruto smiled before noticing something sparkling in the nest.

"What is that?" Boruto asked as Naruto had the same question in mind before literally picking it up and holding it to the air.

"That's a cool looking kunai." Boruto noted.

"It must be the enemy ninja's." Mitsuki assumed as Naruto grinned in awe of the design of the weapon. It was unlike the Kunais he had seen from Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf.

"Whoa! I've never seen a kunai shaped like this before!" Naruto noted as he jumped down from the tree to get a better look at it. It was then Sarada noticed something attached to it.

"Wait a second…that must be the secret intel report the enemy must have!" Sarada pointed out as Boruto looked to her in shock.

"Seriously?" Boruto asked.

"That must be it." Mitsuki said, noticing the inscriptions himself.

If Naruto noticed, he was either to happy or too amazed to care.

"The enemy ninja must have used this kunai during the battle yesterday! I found something that I can bring back to my friends!" Naruto gave a wide smile as he continued fiddling before finally starting his path back to the village.

"Now I'll be able to make some real friends!" Naruto cheered before he was suddenly surrounded by three masked ninja.

"Hey kid." One of the ninja said in a voice that meant they were in no mood for any nonsense.

"Oh great. Whaddaya want, I'm in a hurry…" Naruto looked annoyed that these jokers would be holding him up.

"Hand over the Kunai, nice and easy." One of the ninja with grey hair under their masks said. It was obvious by the voice of one of the ninja that these were a trio of women.

"Hm? No forget it! This is mine! I'm not giving it to you!" Naruto refused before shoving the kunai in his pocket.

"I see…we'll just have to take it from you by force!" The ninja with gray hair said as they pulled their swords out, something that unnerved Boruto and Sarada.

"What's wrong with these ninja!?" Sarada yelled as they were literally chasing Naruto as they threw a slurry of kunai and shuriken that Naruto was lucky to avoid without getting impaled or maimed by.

"He's just a kid!? What the hell is wrong with these broads!?" Boruto demanded as Mitsuki was the only one who seemed not as bothered as the other two members of his team.

"It can't be helped. In the ninja world, people who threaten the sanctity and well-being of a team's success on a mission are considered enemies to be disposed of by any means necessary. Be it whether they're a man, woman or child." Mitsuki stated as his "matter of fact" tone slightly unnerved his teammates.

"How can you say that so calmly!?" Boruto yelled as Naruto made a hand sign while running for his life.

"Sexy Jutsu!" Naruto yelled as Boruto and Sarada face-palmed.

"Idiot! They're girls!" Boruto ground out.

"Yeah, what's that gonna do!?" Sarada chided as Mitsuki laughed.

"I don't think he even knows." Mitsuki laughed much to his teammates' disbelief that he could find humor in a situation like this.

"How can you laugh at a situation like this!?" Boruto yelled as Mitsuki continued his laughter.

"He still survives after this, right?" Mitsuki asked as Boruto was practically humbled with the realization.

Mitsuki was proven right as even in his sexy jutsu, Naruto was nearly gutted like a fish.

"Too bad that technique won't work on us." The ninja with grey hair said as the women all removed their masks revealing they were indeed women, much to Naruto's dread and ire.

"No way! You're all women! Oh, no fair!" Naruto groaned.

"You just now realized that!?" Sarada and Boruto yelled simultaneously as Sarada couldn't believe Lord Seventh used to be so…scatterbrained.

"In that case, clone jutsu!" Naruto said as the same deformed, half dead looking clone appeared right in front of him as it slowly etched its way to the Kunoichi.

"…Is….he…serious…" Sarada deadpanned.

"Dead serious." Boruto confirmed with a sigh as Mitsuki continued laughing, finding this scene to be quite humorous, especially with the annoyed expression the females gave at Naruto's sorry excuse of a clone as they no doubt considered it as an insult to them as Shinobi.

"Unbelievable. That's got to be the most pathetic excuse for a clone that I've ever seen." The gray haired woman spat as she cut the "clone" in half, having enough of Naruto's BS.

"Now go and get him! No mercy!" The gray haired woman commanded her teammates as Naruto seriously hauled butt in a way that neither Boruto nor Sarada nor Mitsuki had ever seen before. But then again with him having no real jutsu on hand, they couldn't blame him for running.

"Okay, if Ninjutsu won't work then!" Naruto said as he ran into the bushes before pushing down a rock, no doubt starting a trap to throw the ninja off.

"That's pretty clever." Boruto whistled as a large branch was sent the Kunoichis way.

"There're traps all over this forest and I know exactly where they're hidden! Here they come!" Naruto gave a smirk before using a kunai to set off another of the traps, this time getting the women caught in a green tarp as he quickly ran off again, knowing they would be fast on his tail and would be less than pleased with getting outsmarted by an Academy student reject not just once but twice.

"Even as someone who's the class clown, Lord Seventh is pretty sharp." Sarada noted in awe as she was no doubt impressed.

"Well dad is unpredictable." Boruto smirked as Naruto tried looking for the next trap to throw them off.

"You know when I think about it, Lord Seventh is a lot smarter than the kids in his age group think he is." Mitsuki said.

"Like I said, he is unpredictable after all." Boruto grinned as Mitsuki donned a pensive expression.

"I wonder…if he acts like that for show?" Mitsuki asked more to himself than to his teammates.

"Gotta hold on…I know there's another trap!" Naruto gasped out, getting a little winded from all this running around.

"Naruto!" The voice of Iruka rang through the forest much to Team Konohamaru's relief.

"Old Man Iruka!" Boruto yelled.

"Thank god." Sarada sighed in relief that Naruto would be saved.

This time, the feelings of relief between Team Konohamaru and Naruto were mutual.

"Sensei?" Naruto asked, feeling relieved that someone on his side was there. Or at least someone he thought could be.

"I'm over here sensei!" Naruto yelled before suddenly miss-stepping as he fell down a long, winding hill before hitting the ground with a hard thud much to Team Konohamaru's horror. Such a long fall would've killed any normal child.

"Dad!" Boruto ran to his dad's form as he looked like he was easing in and out of consciousness.

"That fall could've broken his neck!" Sarada noted as she scanned Naruto's bodies for any kind of injury. Thankfully he had nothing but scratches and dust on him.

Much to Team Konohamaru's relief, Iruka touched down and ran quickly to Naruto's side before picking him up.

"Hey! Are you alright? Come on, wake up!" Iruka practically pleaded as he held Naruto in his arms as Naruto barely noticed Iruka.

"…S-sensei?" Naruto weakly gasped out as Iruka smiled, relieved Naruto was okay.

"Good! At least you're awake! Now c'mon, let's get you back to the Academy." Iruka tenderly said as Naruto attempted to stand but to no avail as Naruto looked dazed and nearly fell back as the ninja finally appeared on the top of the hill Naruto fell from.

"Oh great!" Sarada ground out, wishing these losers would just go away.

"I-it's them!" Naruto noted, but the team were quick to notice the tone in Naruto's voice. It was something akin to actual fear….

"Dad…he looks and sounds…scared…" Boruto noted.

"It can't be helped. With no real jutsu in his arsenal, he's as helpless as a newborn baby here." Mitsuki pointed out.

"You're not from around here. What're you up to sneaking around the leaf village?" Iruka asked as the silver haired women narrowed her eyes at Iruka.

"And just who are you? Leave the kid and get lost!" She spat much to Boruto's disgust.

"He's defeated! Where's your honor?" Boruto spat as Mitsuki shook his head.

"Like I said, he's hindered their mission and so he's seen as an anime to be disposed of." Mitsuki sighed much to Boruto's anger. Thankfully Iruka shared his anger.

"I'm in charge of this child's safety! He's going home with me!" Iruka glared at the women who looked nothing short of amused at Iruka.

"What're you? His teacher?" The brunette of the trio looked ready to fall back from laughing.

"You're unfortunate to have such a lame student and now you'll pay for his stupidity with your life!" The light brown haired woman spat much to Boruto and Sarada's anger.

"Lame student? I'll show you a lame student…" Boruto took a step forward before stopping himself, realizing that with Iruka around, he would help get his father to safety.

"Difficult children are just more rewarding. Besides, you won't be able to defeat me that easily!" Iruka vowed as Team Konohamaru felt themselves gaining even more respect for Iruka than they previous had before coming into this memories as they were already familiar with him as the head of the Ninja Academy. Whatever ill will Boruto had towards Iruka had vanished at that moment.

"That old man…" Boruto smiled as Iruka used a smoke bomb to get away as he jumped from tree to tree, with the ninja hot on his trail.

Iruka managed to narrowly dodge all the Shuriken they hurled towards his direction much to the irritation of the Kunoichi on their tail.

"Quickly! Surround them!" The silver haired kunoichi ordered as she tried impaling Iruka with her sword only for Iruka to match her blade with his Kunai.

"I will not let you hurt Naruto!" Iruka vowed before kicking her away.

"That's the way to do it, Old Man Iruka!" Boruto cheered as he pumped his fist.

"Don't let them escape! Scatter!" The gray haired Kunoichi said as they all made hand signs.

"Multi Phantom Shuriken Jutsu!" The gray haired Kunoichi yelled as a flurry of Shuriken charged at Iruka and Naruto as one managed to actually graze Iruka's cheek and shoulder.

"Can't dodge them!" Iruka scowled as Sarada looked worried.

"Oh man, this isn't looking good…" Sarada bit her lip, wondering how Iruka and Naruto got out of this sticky situation before a Kunai with a paper bomb flew right past Iruka's head, knocking the enemy ninja back.

"Now what?" Boruto asked as Mitsuki smiled.

"So that's what it is." Mitsuki pointed as his teammates followed his line of eyesight before their eyes widened in shock.

The source of the explosion was none other than Kakashi Hatake, who looked vastly younger than the one they knew.

"Old Man Kakashi! But younger!" Boruto grinned, eager to see Kakashi kick these broads' asses.

"Thank god!" Sarada breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hey, you two alright?" Kakashi asked Iruka who gave a grateful smile, relieved to have some help.

"Kakashi, what're you doing here?" Iruka asked, making sure Naruto didn't fall from his grip.

"Your students told me what happened and I got a little concerned." Kakashi explained as Mitsuki's thoughts immediately went to Shikamaru and Choji and how they had seen what happened and he surmised that they must've told Kakashi the truth about what happened.

"Damn it, he's got back up." The light brown haired woman, sighed, annoyed they wouldn't be able to kill Naruto as quickly as they would've liked.

"So what? We'll get rid of them with fire style." The gray haired woman scoffed as Boruto and Sarada rolled their eyes.

"He's not called the copy ninja for nothing. Whatever you throw at him, he'll throw right back." Boruto snorted.

"Synergy Jutsu!" All the women yelled as they readied a hand sign.

"Go Iruka!" Kakashi ordered as Iruka did just that however Team Konohamaru decided to stay behind, curious to see how a young Kakashi would do in combat.

"Karura!" All three women yelled as a massive ball of fire escaped from their throats though Kakashi looked unworried as he made his own hand signs.

"Earth Style! Mud Wall Jutsu!" Kakashi yelled as a wall of mud suddenly erupted from the ground cancelling out the attacks.

"What!?" The brunette of the group yelled out in shock that her attack was countered so easily.

However, she didn't have time to be shocked as Kakashi went through another series of hand signs as Lightning erupted in his hands as Team Konohamaru's eyes widened as they realized what was happening.

"That's-"Sarada was about to point out before Kakashi dashed at the women.

"Chidori!" Kakashi yelled as the women were easily overwhelmed by the force of the jutsu before they were knocked unconscious, tied and restrained.

"Man…even back then Old Man Kakashi was a badass…" Boruto whistled.

"You're telling me." Sarada gave a light laugh.

"With the knowledge of that he was Lord Seventh's sensei in addition to how far these memories will last, I think it's safe to say we haven't even reached the tip of the iceberg." Mitsuki said as Iruka made his way to Kakashi once things were safe.

"Thanks a lot, Kakashi. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't shown up when you did." Iruka smiled in thanks as Kakashi shrugged off Iruka's praise.

"I'm confident you would've kept Naruto safe even if I hadn't been here." Kakashi replied as Iruka looked down, almost as if remembering something important.

"You gave me good advice. I think I understand it now." Iruka said, more to himself than to Kakashi as Team Konohamaru looked at the man in confusion.

"Advice? What's he talking about?" Boruto asked.

"Perhaps he's talking about a conversation we never saw." Mitsuki surmised.

"…I think maybe it has something to do with Master Iruka understanding Naruto more as a teacher." Sarada assumed as Boruto and Mitsuki looked at her for a second before reflecting on her words.

"It would make sense why Old Man Iruka would change his tone about Naruto…" Boruto put his hand to his chin in thought.

"You were right, I should have tried to be honest with him from the start." Iruka admitted as Kakashi was silent, letting Iruka continue.

"I probably tried to turn my back on him so I could avoid my own feelings. But I think I can finally face him now…" Iruka looked back to Naruto's unconscious form with his eyes and voice full of regret as Team Konohamaru felt sympathy for the young man.

"Oh Master Iruka…at least things are better now." Sarada gave a soft smile.

"Yeah, what's happened is in the past. All that matters is the future." Boruto gave a slight laugh as he knows that's what his dad would say.

Kakashi seemed satisfied with this answer as he put a hand on Iruka's shoulder.

"That's good. You do that." Kakashi smiled underneath his mask as Iruka realized what he needed to do.

"I will, thanks." Iruka gave a genuine smile before finally making his way back to the Ninja Academy as Naruto started to slowly stir right as soon as they reached the Ninja Academy.

"…I…Iruka…Sensei…" Naruto muttered.

"Rise and Shine, sleepy head!" Boruto joked as Team Konohamaru laughed with Boruto, relieved that Naruto was finally up.

"I see you're up now." Iruka mused, just as amused as Team Konohamaru was before letting Naruto get down as he stretched his sore muscles.

Naruto blinked several times before realizing it was late evening time and the sun was starting to set as his eyes went wide, no doubt remembering his near death experience.

"Wait a second! Where're those ninja at!?" Naruto yelled, getting defensive as Iruka put a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Calm down. They've already been dealt with. You have nothing to worry about anymore." Iruka said as Naruto looked relieved he didn't have to deal with psycho women wanting his head on their blades.

"That's a relief…" Naruto sighed as Sarada wasn't far off from agreeing with him.

"Understatement of the century." Sarada dryly commented as Naruto's hands went into his pockets, no doubt fiddling for the kunai he stole.

"Wait a second! The kunai! Where's the kunai I took!?" Naruto demanded as Boruto and Sarada face-palmed, not believing what they were hearing.

"He can't be serious, can he? He almost died because of that thing!" Sarada deadpanned.

"Like I said, dad was an idiot!" Boruto sighed as Iruka looked just as disbelieved as them that Naruto would worry about such a thing after what he went through not even hours ago.

"Are you serious? I gave that to Lord Hokage as it was an enemy weapon." Iruka said in a voice of complete and utter disbelief as he put his hands to his hips. This kid was definitely gonna give him more than a couple of gray hairs.

To say Naruto looked outraged was an understatement as he clenched his fists in rage.

"Aww, c'mon, sensei! Give me a break! How could you have lost that kunai!?" Naruto yelled as his plans to be friends with Hibachi and his gang were now down in the dumps as Iruka had finally had enough.

"You idiot!" Iruka yelled, wanting to smack some sense into Naruto as he nearly fell back on his butt in fright.

"Are you kidding!? You almost lost your life today because of that thing!" Iruka scolded Naruto who looked down.

"…Yeah that's true but…." Naruto looked down in a Hinata like manner.

"He looks sad." Mitsuki commented.

"Well yeah, he just lost what he thought was a quick and easy way to get friends. Though he's way better off without those kinds of friends." Boruto scoffed as even Iruka was taken aback by Naruto's reaction or rather lack there of.

"Huh…you seem quiet all of a sudden." Iruka noted as Naruto continued looking down.

"…That's cause….this is the first time you've actually yelled at me sensei, I'm just surprised…." Naruto meekly admitted as Sarada blinked at Naruto's admission.

"You know something? He's actually right. Master Iruka has finally stepped up and decided to act like a real teacher for a change to him." Sarada noted as Boruto snorted.

"Dad's finally gotten what he wanted yet he doesn't know how to react." Boruto joked as Iruka blinked at Naruto's confession before finally managing to smile.

"Yelled at you? I guess I did. That's because I've decided I'm going to be more honest and upfront with you from now on. Starting tomorrow, I'm gonna be more hard on you now than ever!" Iruka beamed as Naruto looked very unenthusiastic to say the least.

"Huh!? If that's how it's gonna be I'm never going back to school…" Naruto groaned as Boruto shook his head in good nature.

"Like a child getting a toy they always wanted but not knowing how to react when they've finally gotten it." Mitsuki chuckled as Iruka looked amused by the boy's comment.

"Naruto, do you have the Will of Fire within you?" Iruka asked much to Naruto's confusion.

"…The Will of Fire? What's that?" Naruto tilted his head, obviously lost.

"It's the strong will to do whatever it takes to protect the Leaf Village no matter what. If you have it, then you can become strong as Lord Hokage!" Iruka explained as Naruto's eyes widened.

"The Hokage!? He's super strong, isn't he!?" Naruto asked as Iruka smiled even wider.

"He is. But he's got more than just strength. Lord Hokage has the respect of everyone in the village because he's a great leader. The Fourth Hokage was a hero who protected the village from the Nine Tailed Fox." Iruka added on to his explanation as Naruto was silent as he processed everything he heard.

"A hero…." Naruto's eyes blinked as the memory flashed back to the moment where Naruto and Hiruzen first met followed by Naruto making his vow to become Hokage at a very young age.

"That's it! Like I've already decided, I'll become a ninja stronger than the Fourth Hokage! And then everyone in the village will have to acknowledge how great I am!" Naruto promised as Team Konohamaru all smiled at the young boy, knowing he would one day reach his dream.

"And he does." Boruto smiled as he immediately thougth back to the moment where his father protected the village from Momoshiki and Kinshiki's attack and their concern over his wellbeing.

Iruka looked moved by Naruto's declaration before pulling out a Kunai from his pants before carving a slash symbol several inches above Naruto's head.

"Well my guess is by the time you're about this tall, you might be able to become Hokage!" Iruka smiled at the young boy as he sketched the slash symbol to where Naruto would end up at a height of 166 cm or 5'6 inches.

"He'll be even taller…" Boruto muttered softly, laughing slightly at how such a shrimp grew up to become a very tall man.

"Okay! Then I'll work just as hard as I can until that day comes!" Naruto vowed as Iruka's smile only got bigger as the bluish-purple fog consumed the team as the memory steadily darkened, ending the memory.

* * *

And there's the Ninja Academy chapter for you all! Man….Iruka and Naruto's bond is just something beautiful isn't it? ^_^

Which reminds me, when I was rewatching the episodes for this particular chapter, I forgot how Viz changed Iruka's VA from Quinton Flynn to Kyle McCarley.

My only question is…**.WHY**? Quinton Flynn was perfect as Iruka and Kyle well…lacks the same Irukaness that Quinton had…if someone could answer that in a review or PM I'd greatly appreciate it, thanks….

In my works, Iruka will **ALWAYS **have the voice of Quinton Flynn, sorry not sorry XP

And since we're talking about episodes, if you avid Naruto watchers like me noticed, for this particular chapter of memories, I used episodes 176-178 since those were part of the start of Naruto's Ninja Academy tenure with some minor tweaks here and there. And on the topic of Naruto's childhood, I hope you all liked how I had an explanation for the beginning of Naruto falling in love with Sakura in addition to how he came up with the Sexy Jutsu since that is a very crucial jutsu in the later part of the series! =P

And on the note of Naruto's childhood, there's gonna be **ONE** more childhood chapter before we get started with the actual series of Naruto. I know some people might not be fond of this but I feel it's necessary to set all the necessary stages of everyone that led Naruto to the person he once was, leading to who he is now.

Like I said, it's only one more chapter so just grin and bear with it! XP

And on that note, Chapter 5 of this story will be released next Wednesday January 15th! I know that might come as a shock to some people having to wait a week rather than me updating the story within a two-three day time frame but the reasons are simple.

Since the chapters are gonna get longer, the deeper I get within to the series, I'll need more time to do the chapters.

Since I go back to school next week….yeah! XD Nuff said XP

In any case, please let me know your thoughts on this chapter and the story as a whole and please let me know how I've been doing with the characterizations of Boruto, Sarada and Mitsuki and whether I've been keeping them in character!

Until Chapter 5, let's make this new year a very memorable one! ^_^


	5. A Lonely Child

Wednesday is here with an update of A Hero's Journey~! Thank you to all of you for the continued support this story gets and I'm happy to know so many people are enjoying this project. It helps motivate me to crank out the chapters as support, motivation and constructive criticism are necessary for a story to grow so keep it up, please! ^_^

Now enough talking, let's get to the chapter!

* * *

Team Konohamaru stood in the void waiting for the next memory as they processed everything they had seen.

"So that's how Dad and Old Man Iruka started to get close. And I see dad was really hopeless as a kid." Boruto chuckled.

"We all have to start from somewhere." Mitsuki mused.

"I wonder what memories are next for us?" Sarada questioned, slightly anxious to see what the team were about to experience next.

As if wanting to answer her question, the bluish-purplish fog suddenly appeared and surrounded the team before they found themselves standing in the Ninja Academy courtyard.

"Why're we here?" Boruto asked as they walked around before coming across the sounds of kids chanting and talking.

"Over there!" Sarada pointed as the team ran to seeing Shikamaru and Choji standing across each other in a sparring circle.

"Shikadai and Chocho's dads?" Boruto asked.

"It looks like they're in a spar of some sort." Mitsuki noted as while Shikamaru looked indifferent and uninterested about the whole thing, Choji looked scared.

"What's with him?" Boruto asked as Choji raised his hand.

"So um….sensei?" Choji nervously raised his hand.

"What is it?" Iruka asked as Choji looked down timidly.

"Uh…the thing is, I really don't wanna fight against my friends, you know?" Choji sighed as Sarada smiled at him.

"Mister Choji has always been nice." Sarada smiled, remembering all the times he would jovially greet her whenever she and Chocho would have a playdate as Boruto scoffed.

"If only his daughter was the same." Boruto snorted.

"Boruto!" Sarada chastised her teammate.

"Well…look Choji this isn't really like a fight. This is traditional hand to hand Shinobi combat. Even our Hokage and those before him participated in such drills and became stronger through sparring." Iruka smiled, trying to reassure Choji he didn't have to worry about potentially losing his best friend as Shikamaru yawned before walking off.

"Yeah uh…look sensei. Just go ahead and put that I went out of bounds, okay? And then we can move onto the next pair." Shikamaru boredly said much to Iruka and the class' astonishment.

"Hey wait…" Iruka tried reasoning with the young Nara who already made up his mind.

"You might be calling this training or whatever but if there's gonna be a winner, then it's actually a match. And if that's the case, wouldn't it save you trouble to decide who wins from the start?" Shikamaru shrugged as Iruka sighed in defeat as Team Konohamaru laughed at the older man's plight.

"Like father like son." Mitsuki joked as Boruto snickered.

"That's for sure." Boruto agreed.

"Forget it. Shikamaru, Choji, give the unison sign." Iruka said in a deadpan tone.

"Oh….yeah I forgot." Shikamaru said before making his way to Choji before the two childhood friends shared a smile with each other. Shikamaru held out two fingers as Choji locked Shikamaru's fingers with two of his own.

"I'm really sorry, Shikamaru." Choji apologized, feeling slightly guilty.

"Nah, it's okay. I know you stink at stuff like this. And it's a drag for me too." Shikamaru shrugged off Choji's apology as Mitsuki looked at his teammates.

"I'd love to see you two do the unison sign together." Mitsuki chuckled as Boruto and Sarada looked at each other before darting their eyes away from each other wearing identical expressions of disgust.

"Not a chance." Boruto and Sarada simultaneously answered.

Iruka looked pleased at the two before nodding his head in approval.

"Good, unison sign complete. Next up is…..Naruto Uzumaki." Iruka announced as Naruto made an expression like he had won the lottery.

"You better believe it!" Naruto jumped up in excitement.

"Someone's excited." Boruto noted in amusement. However his smile soon sagged as he noticed the expressions of several of his peers around him.

"Wait, is he the one?" A girl asked, the sight of Naruto being the equivalent of drinking sour milk.

"My parents said that I wasn't supposed to talk to him." Another girl with red rimmed glasses took a slight step back in fright.

"Out of everyone here, I want to be paired with him the least!" A third girl said, the disdain she had for Naruto evident on her face.

"Those brats…." Boruto clenched his fist in rage.

"While I understand your rage, please remember they were conditioned into believing the derogatory comments they heard about Lord Seventh and with them wanting to please their parents, they felt like they had no choice." Mitsuki tried calming his teammate down who looked to the side.

"No choice. Right." Boruto scoffed remembering Shikamaru and Choji being decent to him in the last memory they watched.

Naruto looked hurt by these comments but shook his head, pushing these comments to the side as Iruka's eyes trailed down his clipboard.

"And Sasuke Uchiha. Step up you two!" Iruka said as the same girls who were badmouthing Naruto immediately lit up happily.

"Sasuke!"

"Get him Sasuke!"

"I wish I could do the unison sign with Sasuke!"

These were some of the comments Sasuke received although he paid them no mind as he stood across from Naruto in the sparring circle.

"Uncle Sasuke….there's something….different…." Boruto noted as his eyes softened at the kid version of his master. While he was happy to see his beloved sensei as a young kid, there was something about him that put him on edge. More specifically, it was his eyes.

"He looks….sad….angry…." Sarada frowned, noting the look in his eyes made him look far older than he was supposed to be. He couldn't be any older than seven years old here yet his eyes were far advanced that of a young age.

"Well of course he is. With the loss of his clan, any child would be affected." Mitsuki noted as he only knew what would happen later down in the memories….with his father being the catalyst of Sasuke's eventual downfall.

If Naruto noticed, he paid this no mind as he frowned in jealousy at Sasuke. Why was he so popular and loved while he was unpopular and shunned? It wasn't fair!

"Let's go! I'm gonna win this for sure!" Naruto cheered out to the heavens above.

"You do it!" Boruto smiled in support of his father although it was still slightly unnerving of him to see his father being so boisterous and loud. While he had his goofball moments as a man in his early thirties, it took Boruto slightly aback to see him so…over the top.

"U-um….best of luck…Nar-"Hinata tried cheering before she was completely overtaken by a random Sasuke fangirl who screamed, "TAKE HIM DOWN SASUKE!"

Naturally Naruto couldn't hear Hinata's praise as Boruto and Sarada felt second hand embarrassment for different reasons.

"Oh dad…" Sarada covered her face, feeling slightly embarrassed at all the fangirling and oogling her mom was doing.

"Oh mom…" Boruto covered his face, still not believing this meek, frail girl would grow up to be his sweet yet scary mother.

"Alright, it's Naruto Uzumaki versus Sasuke Uchiha and-"Iruka tried announcing before Naruto cut him off.

"C'mon, let's just do this idiot!" Naruto shouted making Boruto and Sarada look at Naruto in surprise.

"Wow, rude much?" Sarada cocked an eyebrow, not believing such an impolite little boy would grow up to be such a warm and big hearted man.

"You're telling me." Boruto agreed, happy that his father grew out of this bratty phase he was in.

"Hey stop that, Naruto. You need to make the proper spar sign before you two begin. It's simple etiquette." Iruka tried reminding Naruto who rolled his eyes.

"I don't care about any of that stuff! I just wanna hurry up and defeat this jerk already! It's time for a new Mr. Popular here, ya know?" Naruto smirked as Sasuke scoffed at Naruto's declaration, clearly not impressed.

"Whatever loser. But I'll make it quick if that's what you want." Sasuke arrogantly replied as Boruto and Sarada were once again taken aback. This time by the tone in Sasuke's voice. It sounded so haughty and arrogant, vastly different from the Sasuke they knew.

"Dad sounds so….full of himself." Sarada blinked.

"That's an understatement." Boruto noted as he remembered that while Sasuke had pride in himself and what he could do, he was still respectful towards the enemies he would watch him face but here? He sounds as if everyone is beneath him.

"It's probably due to the fact that with him being the last Uchiha of the Uchiha Clan in addition to him being at the top of his class, he feels superior to everyone else." Mitsuki added in his friends' conversation.

"I wonder what changed him?" Sarada asked as Iruka had had enough.

"Enough, both of you!" Iruka scolded both boys before sighing, "Good Grief." Iruka honestly felt like he ran a daycare rather than being an instructor for future ninja in the Leaf's military forces.

"Shinobi Hand to Hand Combat is a traditional drill passed down from generation to generation. You might think it's stuffy to be so formal but at the Academy, we have respect for tradition. This stuff matters." Iruka began as Naruto looked like he was mere seconds from falling asleep.

"First you always face and make this one handed sign toward your opponent before starting." Iruka said before bringing out his index and middle finger while the rest of his fingers were caved in.

"It represents half of the two hands used to activate a jutsu and indicates intention to fight. Now we call this the Spar Sign. When you finish sparring and the bout is concluded, you each extend both the Unison Sign and lock your fingers around each others'. This indicates that you recognize each other as comrades. That's the etiquette of Shinobi Hand to Hand Combat." Iruka finished his explanation although neither Sasuke nor Naruto seemed all that interested in the history of Shinobi etiquette. Naruto more than Sasuke who merely picked at his ear.

"Are you listening Naruto!? I've explained it twice now!" Iruka yelled as Naruto darted his eyes while giving the Chunin a shit eating grin.

"Yeah, yeah." Naruto scoffed, clearly taking amusement in Iruka's angry and annoyed expression.

"One yes is fine, you fool!" Iruka spat as Team Konohamaru chuckled.

"Seems like our Lord Hokage was quit the little hand full." Mitsuki joked.

"Although I have to say I'm happy to see Master Iruka being more of a teacher to Lord Seventh." Sarada smiled.

"Yeah totally." Boruto agreed as Naruto waved off Iruka's anger.

"I get it, okay?" Naruto turned to Sasuke.

"Hmph." Sasuke scoffed before the two stared down each other.

"Begin!" Iruka said as both boys made the one handed Sparring Sign before charging at each other.

However, within the span of a second, the "spar" was over with Sasuke toppling over Naruto with one hand made into a fist mere centimeters from Naruto's face while Sasuke had his other hand on Naruto's chest, keeping a good grip.

"S-so fast!" Boruto blinked, in disbelief. Even as a kid, Sasuke was a badass? Well he already knew that from the last memory but still, how much of one was he?

"He's so cool!" The younger Ino Yamanaka cheered.

"Oh Sasuke, you rock!" Sakura added as both boys paid these comments no mind as some of the other students were taken aback by Sasuke's speed and agility.

However what took Team Konohamaru aback was the look Sasuke gave Naruto. It seemed as extreme as the looks that the villagers gave Naruto and yet…it wasn't. On one hand, he was staring at Naruto but at the same time, it wasn't.

"What's with that look?" Sarada asked, the hairs on her neck standing, unnerved with the look her dad was giving Naruto.

"It's like….a look of understanding….of longing…it's like…they were looking through each other's souls." Boruto noted as Sasuke slowly got off Naruto. Whether or not he realized what he did or not was unknown.

"Sasuke wins. Now make the unison sign so we can move on." Iruka said as he obviously didn't notice the intensity of Sasuke's look as Sasuke started walking away from Naruto who glared at Sasuke with a look of rage, anger and mostly jealously.

"Hey come back! You weren't even looking at me! That didn't count! You're a turd! No you're crap! Hard and runny! Stupid! Stupid!" Naruto childishly wailed as his comments seemed to get to Sasuke as he stopped in his tracks.

"Ugh gross!" Sarada groaned in digust. Why did boys have to be so gross?

"Besides, what kind of insults are those?" Boruto shook his head in disappointment.

"I agree, I bet you could do better than those." Mitsuki agreed.

"What is wrong with you two!?" Sarada yelled at her teammates.

Sasuke meanwhile turned his head to glare at Naruto before scoffing at him. It was clear from his facial expression he didn't consider Naruto worth his time.

"Got something to say to me, you hard and runny crap turd!?" Naruto spat as Iruka had finally had enough, shoving his fist in Naruto's skull, leaving a small cranial eruption.

"Oww…" Naruto muttered in pain.

"Can't say he didn't have that coming." Sarada muttered.

"That still probably smarted though." Boruto slightly cringed at that reminded him of the moment where Hinata displayed her Gentle Fist techniques on him after he…..relieved himself on the Hokage monument.

"I told you Hand to Hand Combat is a sacred tradition! Now make the Unison Sign! And you too! Do it, Sasuke!" Iruka shouted as he glared at Naruto and then to Sasuke, both boys looking not pleased in the slightest to be in each other's presence.

Naruto and Sasuke slowly made their way to each other as they extended their fingers as they were about to do the Unison Sign. At least until….

They actually grabbed the collars of their shirts as they glared bloody murder at each other.

"Hmph!" Naruto growled as Sasuke glared deeper at Naruto.

"You wanna go another round, you loser!?" Sasuke spat as Iruka had to push both boys away from each other before a potential fight could break out.

"Okay what is going on here? Why are they being so mean to each other?" Sarada couldn't believe these were the same two close friends she would see later in life.

"I know that Dad is jealous of Uncle Sasuke for being the most popular and most loved but it feels like there's something…deeper…" Boruto's eyes narrowed.

"Hey enough! Quit it, both of you!" Iruka chided both boys after pulling them apart.

"Naruto's just the worst!" Ino spat with disdain in her voice as Sakura didn't look too pleased with Naruto herself.

"What's with him?" A student beside Ino asked as Naruto finally got tired of all the comments the students had about him as he shook out of Iruka's grip as he ran off but not without shooting a raspberry at the entire student body before jumping over the fence of the Academy Schoolyard.

But before he could take his leave to go cool his head, the last thing he noticed was the expression in Sasuke's eyes….It was an expression of loneliness and agony…the same…he had.

"Even though he lost his clan….it's still not right to see eyes like that on a little kid." Boruto frowned as Sarada shared Boruto's concern.

"I know…it's very unsettling." Sarada agreed as Mitsuki was silent.

"These memories will definitely show us why…" Mitsuki said.

However before his teammates could ask him what he meant, the scene suddenly changed as Naruto sat on a lone bench in the park all by himself as he smiled at the cup of ramen he was about to eat.

"The ramen's all hot and ready now!" Naruto grinned as he pulled the tab of the top of the ramen cup before quickly digging in.

"Childhood favorites really stay with you." Boruto shook his head, albeit slightly good-naturedly as a family of three, a ninja, his wife and his child all happily walked by before their smiles all faded upon seeing Naruto.

"Look…it's that boy…" The woman said as Naruto's smile immediately left his face at the comment. Why was everyone so cold to him?

"Ignore him and keep walking." The ninja said, walking faster with his son, not caring if Naruto heard him or Naruto as Naruto continued eating his ramen, although much faster with an angry expression on his face.

"Who is that kid?" The young boy asked, not really understanding his parents' hatred for the young boy.

"You don't need to know." The ninja spat, a bit coldly to his son. Too coldly for Team Konohamaru's taste.

"I'm sick of this! How much longer do we have to see of dad suffering?" Boruto asked, speaking for his teammates who agreed with him.

"I agree. When do his sufferings turn into blessings?" Mitsuki asked as Naruto had finally reached his limit before flinging his ramen cup right at the head of the ninja who cringed at the heat of the ramen hitting his head as it sent warm water dribbling down his face.

"You brat! How dare you!?" The man spat as Naruto pulled down his right eyelid before running off. Boruto and Sarada laughed while Mitsuki chuckled at the man's misfortune.

"I can't say he didn't have that coming, the asshole." Boruto snickered.

"Indeed, it is nice for people to get their just desserts." Mitsuki smiled as Naruto suddenly made his way to the Academy schoolyard much to Naruto's relief which was thankfully empty as he was in no mood to be dealing with any of the other students' BS.

Naruto took a seat atop one of the poles as he stared at the heads of the Hokage, mainly the Fourth.

"Why is everyone so mean to me? They act like I'm some sort of monster…" Naruto growled as Boruto and Sarada turned their heads away at the irony of Naruto's words.

"If only he knew…" Sarada shook her head sadly.

"If only Grandma and Grandpa were still around…" Boruto muttered bitterly as Naruto was staring intently at the Hokage heads before starting to slowly whistle, much to the team's confusion.

"He's whistling? I wonder why…" Boruto asked.

"It must be his way of trying to clear his head over what happened earlier." Mitsuki observed.

"Clear his head?" Sarada asked. However, Mitsuki's assumption seemed to be correct as the previous anger in Naruto's face had left as he looked like he was seriously enjoying his whistling.

"He's having fun." Boruto smiled, relieved to see emotions other than anger and angst in his father before Naruto nearly fell off the pole he was sitting on, a result of not watching himself and paying attention.

"Good grief, this kid." Sarada shook her head as Naruto repositioned himself on the pole.

"We can see why he's Boruto's father." Mitsuki smiled.

"Hey!" Boruto shouted before the sounds of footsteps prevented any further arguments.

Naruto and Team Konohamaru looked to see the source was none other than Sakura, Ino, Shikamaru and Choji but what caught the attention of the team were the looks they were giving Naruto…almost as if they were blaming him for whatever it is that happened to them….

"What's with those stares?" Sarada cringed, not liking seeing such a hateful look in her mother's eyes.

"I dunno but I don't like it. It reminds me of those asshole villagers." Boruto spat as Naruto winced at their stares, not liking the looks they were giving him.

"What's up?" Naruto asked, slightly timid. What had he done now? He was just minding his own business this time.

"What did you do with Yota!? Did you take him somewhere you-"Ino was about to bite Naruto's head off before Shikamaru thankfully put a hand on her shoulder, calming her down.

"Putting him through an interrogation won't work." Shikamaru reasoned with his teammate before looking up at Naruto.

"Naruto, you know too, don't you?" Shikamaru asked as Team Konohamaru had never seen a more lost expression on Naruto's face.

"Know what?" Naruto blinked, utterly lost at what they were referring to.

"You saw something, right? Maybe not but…" Shikamaru rubbed his head, trying to find the best way to explain things to the blonde who scoffed, obviously not in the mood for any of their nonsense.

"If I didn't see anything then how could I have seen something?" Naruto asked.

"Can't argue with that." Boruto nodded.

"How perceptive." Mitsuki added as Sarada stared at her two teammates in disbelief.

"How can you two sound so impressed?" Sarada deadpanned as Shikamaru and Choji looked just as impressed as Shikamaru and Choji.

"You know, you're a lot shrewder than you look." Shikamaru blinked, impressed with Naruto's rationality as Choji nodded his agreement.

"Are you kidding? Why would that impress you guys so much?" Ino asked as Sakura had gotten impatient with Naruto's unwillingness and disinterest in their situation before she harshly grabbed his wrist and yanked him down the pole he was on.

"C'mon, let's go!" Sakura pulled Naruto, much to his discomfort.

"H-hey what?" Naruto asked, wishing these guys would at least let him know what was going on.

"That's a bit too hard." Sarada winced, not liking the extremely tight way that Sakura was grabbing Naruto's wrist.

"I just wonder what their deal is." Boruto asked as he and his team followed the children.

Eventually the group of kids made their way to where a tree was where part of it resembled a tree house.

"What's here? Some kind of secret club? Although what happened here? It looks like lightning struck the area." Mitsuki asked in curiosity as Sakura harshly let Naruto go.

"Now what did you do with Yota?" Sakura asked.

"Who is Yota?" Boruto asked, turning to Sarada in confusion.

"…A possible childhood friend?" Sarada answered, although she was confused. Her mother never mentioned any "Yota" before.

"Uh…Yota?" Naruto blinked as Sakura pointed to where their treehouse or rather what was left of it was.

"You met him in the schoolyard, didn't you? The only other person who knows about Yota besides us is you." Sakura pointed right back at Naruto as what caught his attention wasn't this lost kid who he knew nothing about but rather…the expressions Sakura and the others were giving him. The harsh, accusing tone in their eyes was just like the looks Naruto received on a daily basis from the villagers.

"Oh…I get it now…they must think Lord Seventh made this Yota character leave or something…probably because of how their parents conditioned them…." Sarada assumed, imagining their parents blabbing about how Naruto was a monster who probably devoured kids or the like.

"Still though, they can be more than what their parents are telling them to do." Boruto shoved his hands in his pockets at his father's dejected tone.

"Come on, don't deny it. You met him and then blabbed to everyone about him, didn't you?" Ino assumed as Naruto clenched his fists, sadness and sorrow overtaking his senses.

"…I don't know who Yota is…" Naruto answered with the utmost honesty in his voice, although the children didn't look moved by Naruto's answer.

"He was a kid who got lost near the village. We all felt bad for him so we started taking care of him…but then when we came here, everything was a mess and Yota was gone!" Sakura nearly yelled as Boruto looked down at his father's expression.

"…It must really hurt for dad. For someone who's seen as an outsider, having someone who's also an outsider being loved and cared for while he's ignored and hated must be the worst case of irony." Boruto noticed as Sarada looked at her teammate.

"Oh crap, you're right." Sarada said as everyone watched as Naruto's expression morphed from sadness to one of anger.

"So…this kid is some sort of outsider?" Naruto asked as the kids stared at him in surprise, however Naruto wasn't going to give them any chance to answer.

"Why would you guys protect an outsider….but still look at me that way!?" Naruto yelled before roughly shoving his way through the four kids as he ran off with Team Konohamaru following behind him.

"This really stinks. Why does it always have to be me!?" Naruto asked, more to himself than anyone around before stopping as he realized he was lost.

"And now I'm lost…" Naruto sighed before the sound of crying got everyone's attention.

"Who's that?" Boruto asked.

"And wait, did it just start raining?" Sarada asked as he looked to see the sky was still sunny and beautiful.

"Weird." Mitsuki said as he pointed to where the rain was coming from as Naruto went to where he heard the crying from before coming across a boy who was sobbing as he rubbed the tears from his eyes.

"Is this the Yota person the others were searching for?" Mitsuki asked.

"I guess so." Boruto shrugged as Sarada raised an eyebrow.

"I wonder…if this kid is the one making it rain like this?" Sarada asked.

"What makes you say that?" Boruto asked his teammate.

"Well think about it. The day is too beautiful for any kind of rain showers and the rain seems to be pooled around this kid." Sarada explained as Boruto blinked while Mitsuki looked interested.

"So he can control and use the weather to his whim then?" Mitsuki put a hand to his chin in thought.

"Man, talk about broken." Boruto muttered as Sarada cut her eyes at the blonde.

"Oh like you can talk." Sarada rolled her eyes as Boruto laughed. Really, the kid of the Seventh Hokage really could not be talking.

"Hey…could it be?" Naruto asked as he tilted his head, wondering if this was really Yota. Upon noticing Naruto, the boy immediately starting crying as Naruto found himself in the middle of a miniature rain shower.

"Hey whoa! Just calm it down, will ya? What's the matter?" Naruto asked as the boy continued crying.

"I'm scared…I'm just so scared!" The boy continued to sob as Naruto looked even more lost.

"..Okay…but what's your name?" Naruto asked as the boy managed to stop crying at least somewhat to acknowledge Naruto's question.

"I'm…Yota…" The boy whimpered as Naruto's eyes widened in realization.

"Told you." Mitsuki smiled at Boruto.

"So you're the one they were talking about!" Naruto yelled as his screams made Yota cry even harder as Naruto found himself practically drenched in rain.

"Moron." Boruto muttered as Naruto took the initiative to get away from the rain as he went to a part of the tree where Yota wasn't crying from.

"Is this your jutsu? That's cool…man I can't even do stuff like clone or transformation jutsu. And Iruka-Sensei's always getting on my case about it, too…" Naruto muttered, a little bitterly not even noticing Yota stopping his crying, thus making the rain go away.

"So when he cries, it rains?" Boruto asked.

"And when he's normal…the weather's normal?" Sarada asked.

If Naruto noticed any of this, he certainly didn't care about it as a jealous look overtook his features.

"You're an outsider like me but everyone likes you. What a joke, that's so unfair you know." Naruto spat disdainfully, confirming Boruto's earlier assessment, while not even noticing Yota coming up behind him.

"Boo!" Yota spooked Naruto as he nearly fell from where he was sitting, making Team Konohamaru chuckle at the scene.

"Wait, I know you! You're-!"Yota said as he made blowing sounds with his mouth.

"You were sitting on that what you call it, whistling, weren't you?" Yota asked as Naruto suddenly thought back, remembering how he whistled, making him smile in remembrance in her good that was in clearing his mind before Naruto started whistling as Yota's eyes shine like a young child's on Christmas morning.

"Will you teach me how to whistle too? When you started whistling like that it was like you weren't all alone anymore. It cheered you up!" Yota said as Naruto gave a small smile as he realized Yota was indeed right.

"I was just pretending. I only started whistling to distract myself…." Naruto looked down, although Yota looked undeterred by this admission.

"Then that's what Yota will do too!" Yota beamed.

"Why is he referring to himself like that?" Sarada asked.

"Beats me." Boruto shrugged as Mitsuki was silent as he took a good look at Yota or rather his eyes.

"Look, you're already friends with everyone." Naruto gave Yota a bizarre look, not understand why he would need whistling to clear his mind when he actually has friends.

However Yota didn't look pleased with this answer as an ominous purple aura suddenly surrounded the young boy, much to Boruto and Sarada's amazement.

"Wait what's that….aura?" Boruto asked, amazed at how he was able to see it with his Jougan eye.

"It looks so evil. Hey wait, what's that snake doing on Yota's shoulder?" Sarada pointed as Boruto then noticed a small white snake on Yota's shoulder, although Mitsuki already noticed it.

"Is that…..Orochimaru's snake?" Boruto asked, remembering his meeting with the Snake Sannin.

"I think so! Why would this kid have one of Orochimaru's snakes?" Sarada noted as Mitsuki decided to speak.

"I see now…look at his eyes." Mitsuki said to his two teammates who stared at him baffled before they did so.

"His eyes are really…dark." Mitsuki asked, cocking an eyebrow at the observation.

"That's right. Normal humans have white sclera yet this boy's is dark. The only people who have eyes like that are people who have been revived with the Reanimation Jutsu." Mitsuki explained as his teammates stared at him, processing this information.

"Wait, did you say Reanimation Jutsu?" Boruto asked.

"Yeah, I think I heard my dad mention that jutsu. Basically, it's a jutsu that brings the dead back to life in exchange of a human sacrifice." Sarada explained as Boruto looked green at that.

"Bringing the dead back? That's so freaky…" Boruto cringed, a little bit freaked out at that.

"But why would Orchimaru bring this kid back? Because of his weather abilities?" Sarada asked, remembering how Orochimaru explained how he made the Shin Clones. She found Orochimaru to be a bit…off….but just what the heck was he?

Mitsuki was still silent, slightly curious about this as well.

Naruto eventually took note of the small white snake before swiftly knocking the snake off before it suddenly vanished away, much to the confusion of everyone sans Mitsuki.

"It's gone now? That's so weird…" Boruto muttered as the purple aura suddenly vanished as the area got brighter again.

"Will you teach me how to whistle like you now? Pretty please?" Yota asked as Naruto smiled, putting a hand on his hip in mock defeat.

"Okay sure." Naruto smiled before Yota followed Naruto into a flowery meadow as the two sat on a moderately big tree log.

"Alright, watch me. First blow out without pursing your lips, ya know? Then you slowly narrow them and then make wind sounds." Naruto explained as Yota decided to give the whole thing a go.

While Yota struggled with whistling at first, eventually the young boy got the hang out of it after a small while.

"Who knew Lord Seventh was such a big fan of whistling?" Mitsuki mused.

"Yeah. He can be so serious nowadays that seeming him so….free is really alluring…" Sarada said with a small blush as Boruto sent the young Uchiha a strange look.

"I know you have a crush on my dad and all but dial it back." Boruto rolled his eyes as Sarada glared at her teammate with a red face.

"Shut up!" Sarada yelled as she smacked Boruto's skull, leaving swelling as Mitsuki ignored these two obviously.

"I see…so when he's happy…wind comes?" Mitsuki observed as Boruto and Sarada stopped their annual daily quarreling upon hearing Mitsuki's words.

"Huh….I wonder what happens when he's mad." Boruto wondered, ignoring the welt on his head.

Naruto then observed a certain rhyme upon Yota's mastered whistling.

"What's that?" Naruto asked as Yota gave Naruto a kind smile.

"You are my friend." Was all Yota said before he suddenly jumped on Naruto's back, making the two young boys laugh while Team Konohamaru could only stare at the scene somberly.

"It's too bad this scene may not last for long…" Sarada frowned.

"Yeah…I wonder what made shit hit the fan…" Boruto asked as the sound of a dog barking got the team's attention.

"Hey is that?" Boruto asked as in came a younger Kiba Inuzuka with Akamaru being small enough to fit under his hooded shirt.

"Uncle Kiba!" Boruto grinned as Sarada cooed at the sight of the puppy Akamaru.

"If only I could adopt him…" Sarada grinned, a little disappointed she couldn't scoop him up into her arms.

However, Yota didn't share Sarada's enthusiasm as he took several steps back.

"No doggies! No doggies no!" Yota yelled as he suddnely rained down lightning as Boruto and Sarada watched the scene with a mixture of humor and horror while Mitsuki was watching the entire spectacle with just humor.

"What did you do to Yota!?" Naruto upset that Kiba would upset his new friend in any way.

"I have no idea! I was just taking Akamaru out for a walk and I saw that guy and then this happened!" Kiba yelled as he was narrowly dodging the lightning bolts.

"Is he the one doing this!?" Kiba yelled.

"I don't even know!" Naruto answered, just as confused as Kiba.

"….So….if he's mad then he rains down lightning?" Sarada asked, puzzled at what she was watching.

"Did that answer your question Boruto?" Mitsuki laughed.

"How can you laugh at this?" Boruto questioned as Shikamaru, Ino, Choji and Sakura soon stumbled onto the scene and they too had to avoid getting turned into lightning strips as this time even Boruto was laughing at the scene.

"Okay this is too funny." Boruto snickered as even Sarada found herself giggling at the scene. It was too cute watching young children running away. Although Sarada found humor mainly at the scene of where Naruto ran by Sakura before smiling at her as she looked utterly lost.

"Oh Lord Seventh." Sarada shook her head good naturedly, wondering what made Naruto stop falling for Sakura.

Eventually once everything was settled and Yota was calmed down, the group of kids decided to play a game of hide and seek that started with Shikamaru kicking a small empty soda can as it was Kiba who was it.

As everyone hid away from Kiba who counted, Naruto hid away in bushes before being discovered by Yota.

"I'll hide with you, Naruto!" Yota grinned, running to Naruto who nearly went pale.

"You can't Yota! They'll find both of us, right away!" Naruto tried trying Yota off of him who paid Naruto no need as he continued hugging and laughing at Naruto, much to his dismay.

"C'mon, you've gotta stop acting all happy like that! Otherwise the weather will change and the others will find me!" Naruto accidently yelled at Yota, startling him.

"…Now you're angry with me Naruto…" Yota moaned as rain started to slowly fall on him.

"You done goofed, Lord Seventh." Sarada laughed as Naruto's eyes nearly bulged from his head as the cold liquid hit him.

"Oh no, not crying! Just get outta here, shoo!" Naruto quickly hid under his bush as Yota ran off while Kiba finished his counting his counting.

"Ha! Found you, Naruto!" Kiba snickered.

"You win some and you lose some." Mitsuki smiled.

"Dad was never that good at games like this. Even when he would have snowball fights with Himawari and I when we were little." Boruto laughed, remembering that old memory as Naruto grumbled to himself, upset at being caught.

"That Yota…getting me caught…" Naruto muttered as the other kids were found as Naruto soon found himself smiling. Despite losing the game, it didn't seem to bother him as he finally had people to play with and have good fun with.

"It's so nice, seeing dad like this." Boruto smiled at the happy expression on his father's face. This had been the happiest he had seen his father look ever since he and his team had come into Naruto's mind.

"…Why do I have a gut feeling this won't end so well for them? After all…if mom doesn't talk about Yota…" Sarada trailed off as Mitsuki decided to pick up where she left off, having a good idea at what she was thinking.

"It's possible something may have happened, leading to everyone thinking he died, despite being already dead." Mitsuki said.

"Yeah, that sounds like the most likely option. But even then, why don't they speak about Yota? Even though it was when they were all little it's like they forgot about him." Sarada donned a pensive expression.

"Hey wait, Yota's the only one left." Kiba noted as all the kids looked around in sight of their friend.

"Oh that's right, he isn't back yet. Where is he?" Boruto asked as Sarada immediately had a gut feeling of something wrong.

"I don't like this…" Sarada said, her gut feelings were rarely if ever wrong.

"Yota?" Naruto asked, however the sound and sight of rain from a faraway distance got the attention of the children as they ran only to fin Yota being restrained by rope by three Anbu Black Ops.

"What the hell is happening here?" Boruto asked as Mitsuki's eyes narrowed.

"Since he's an outsider, they must be bringing in Yota for interrogation." Mitsuki said.

"Interrogation? But he hasn't done anything!" Sarada argued in defense of the small child though Mitsuki looked unmoved with his words.

"It doesn't matter. In the eyes of the village, anyone with the kind of abilities Yota has, child, civilian or ninja could be a potential danger in the eyes of the village." Mitsuki explained.

"….Yeah…" Boruto nodded, remembering his father's near death encounter with those trigger happy kunoichi from the last memory.

"No, Yota!" Sakura yelled as the kids tried running to their friend before an Anbu blocked their path.

"We're taking him into custody where he'll be kept under strict observation and interrogated." The Anbu member stated in a cold voice that made the hairs on Sarada and Boruto's necks stick up.

"But Yota isn't a danger to the village!" Ino tried arguing for her friend's sake though the Anbu was seemingly unmoved by the fact that he was deliberately ruining the friendship between a group of innocent children.

"We'll determine that. Besides, all outsiders are forbidden outside the village's borders. You'll be summoned later to give evidence. Until then, return home and stay there." The Anbu replied in a voice, indifferent to the children and the glares they were giving him.

The scene suddenly changed to Naruto sitting alone in his apartment looking pretty bored as he stared out of the window, no doubt thinking of Yota before Choji and Shikamaru jumped in from his open window, both boys laughing at Naruto's scared expression.

"You guys just can't barge in uninvited!" Naruto yelled, trying to compose himself as Team Konohamaru also chuckled at the young Naruto's reaction.

"Dad was always jumpy when someone snuck up on him." Boruto laughed as Choji and Shikamaru were nothing short of bemused with Naruto's reaction.

"Oh be quiet. You were pretty lonely til we came along!" Choji laughed as Naruto looked out to see Ino, Sakura, Kiba and Akamaru all smiled at him.

"Besides, it's a nice day, if you stay cooped up in here…" Shikamaru was about to say before the sight of rain caught everyone's attention.

"Is that rain?" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow.

"It must be Yota." Boruto shoved his hands in his pockets as Sarada's brows narrowed in worry.

"I wonder what they're doing to him…" Sarada frowned as Mitsuki was silent, remembering his own interrogation.

"What're we gonna? We can't just leave him there." Shikamaru turned to Naruto who grinned.

"Just leave it to me. I'll do something to get everyone's attention and while everyone's distracted, go grab Yota!" Naruto said as Shikamaru raised an eyebrow.

"What're you gonna do?" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow as Naruto merely snickered in response.

"Oh god." Sarada grimaced, having a good idea at what Naruto was thinking.

"You know….it's kind of fascinating. Even as children, Lord Seventh and Mister Shikamaru were close. Like they had a unique bond from the other members of the Leaf's forces that we know." Mitsuki noted as Boruto blinked.

"You know, you're absolutely right. I always noticed that dad and Old Man Shikamaru were close." Boruto noted.

"And it looks like history is repeating itself with you and Shikadai." Sarada smiled slightly as Boruto blinked.

"Huh…it's like we were all destined to be friends or something." Boruto shrugged as the scene shifted to the head of the Third Hokage being covered in black paint. And the culprit? One laughing Naruto Uzumaki who was also covered in black paint.

"I knew it." Sarada face palmed as Mitsuki laughed while Boruto looked unimpressed.

"That's it? I could do way better." Boruto deadpanned.

"Of course you'd try to find competition in that." Sarada sighed, wondering why she was surrounded by idiots.

"Hey stop that!" One ninja yelled from below the Hokage rooftop as several others piled on top of the top of the building.

"Get down from there!" Another ninja yelled, irate at the fact that some brat was defiling the sacred Hokage faces. Did this kid have no shame?

"Yeah right! Like I'm gonna listen to you losers! My name's Naruto Uzumaki! I'm a Hidden leaf Ninja!" Naruto proclaimed with an arrogant, bratty smirk on his face.

"You're not a ninja quite yet, little guy." Sarada sighed as Boruto and Mitsuki had an ehepiphany as they noticed all the ninja.

"Wait, I get it now. He's pulling this prank so that everyone's attention would be fixated on him, thus leading the others to retrieve Yota." Mitsuki explained as Boruto snorted.

"Leave it to dad." Boruto shook his head as Naruto continued gloating over his work.

"C'mon guys, let's see what you got! Try to catch me if you can! I'll take on all the ninja in the village, come and get me!" Naruto laughed before turning around and smacking his butt much to the irritation of the ninja.

"You brat!" The ninja yelled before they all chased after Naruto.

"Couldn't Lord Seventh think of something better?" Sarada sighed, wishing Lord Seventh would be as mature as he was currently.

"And it looks like Lord Third finds it just as amusing." Mitsuki chuckled as he and the team looked to see Hiruzen not look irate that his face was defaced but rather amused as he shook his head good-naturedly.

"Oh brother." Sarada scoffed as the goose chase lasted for a small while before Naruto eventually made his way to where Yota was being kept up and much to the team's amazement, Shikamaru was actually able to restrain some of the Anbu holding Yota hostage with his Shadow Possession Jutsu!

"Hold on, he can restrain Anbu like that as only a kid?" Sarada asked in utter disbelief. Man…the older generation makes their generation looks kind of…lame.

"Shame Shikadai can't be cool like that." Boruto teased, not meaning it in the slightest while ignoring the annoyed look Sarada sent his way.

However the cool moment didn't last for long before the ninja easily broke through the jutsu as if it were nothing.

"It was a good try…" Mitsuki shrugged as Sarada cringed, literally feeling the killing intent off of the Anbu surrounded the children.

"I don't like their looks…." Sarada muttered as the Anbu looked ready to turn the children into pincushions.

"Don't move. Anyone who threatens the welfare of the village will be treated harshly, even if they're children. He could be a spy for all you know!" The Anbu spat, his fingers twitching, ready to execute Shikamaru and Co. for even the slightest resistance.

"Oh man…dad, you better haul ass and get here!" Boruto said as thankfully Naruto appeared right as the Anbu spoke those harsh words.

"Quit screwing around!" Naruto yelled as he ran in the room before go over to where Yota was and standing in front of him in a protective manner.

"No way! Yota would never do that! Yota is…the first real friend that I've ever had in my entire life!" Naruto yelled as the children both within and watching the memory looked moved by Naruto's words.

"Oh dad…..but why do I feel like things won't be so peachy keen?" Boruto asked, having a disturbingly good idea on how this would all end.

"…I'm…your real friend?" Yota asked, touched at how much a fellow outcast could care for him.

However just because the children were touched by Naruto's words didn't mean the Anbu were. Rather, they appeared even more cold after Naruto spoke his words as one Anbu smacked Naruto in the back of his head nearly knocking him out.

This was enough to anger Yota as purple lightning started to slowly crackle around him.

"He…is my friend…and he…needs me!" Yota yelled as his lightning caught the Anbu off guard before they were struck by the jutsu, knocking them out entirely as the children looked both relieved and lost as to what just happened.

"Well that's a way to do it?" Sarada blinked, relieved that the children finally had a chance to escape.

"Yota, we've gotta run!" Naruto said as he and his friends wasted no time in picking up and darting off with Yota as fast as they could to escape the Anbu who they could tell was gaining on them. However, a river was blocking their path.

"Oh great, if it's not one thing, it's another." Boruto sighed, a bit irritated.

"And that river looks fairly deep…." Sarada noted, looking at the river and how deep it looked.

"I doubt they know the walking on water technique." Mitsuki added, curious as to how Naruto and Co. would get out of this sticky situation as the kids looked just as in disbelief over their situation as Team Konohamaru did.

"This is bad…that river is deep." Shikamaru said in frustration.

"I know…but still, we have to cross it." Ino tried reassuring her friends who still looked uncertain.

"And they're probably after us already…" Sakura noted as Choji winced.

"I wished we learned to walk on water…" Choji lamented.

"C'mon, let's just do it!" Kiba said as Akamaru barked in agreement as Naruto's eyes narrowed in determination to get away with his friend.

"Let's go…to some place where Yota can be free!" Naruto said as the kids tried crossing the river only to struggle massively with how deep it was and how small they were. However, despite this, the kids tried pushing onwards only for Shikamaru, Choji and Naruto to get swept up by the currents.

"Oh no! Dad!" Boruto yelled about to save him before Mitsuki literally stretched his arm to keep Boruto at bay.

"Remember, we can't do anything!" Mitsuki reminded the blonde who nearly screamed in frustration as he watched his dad slowly drown.

However, at the last second Yota was able to save Naruto from drowning thanks to summoning a mini Tornado in the water, getting him to short safely.

"Thank god…" Sarada breathed in relief as Naruto slowly caught his breath.

"Thank you Yota…" Naruto breathed, grateful he didn't die in the water. However, the relief was short lived as Yota fell face first in the water before slowly gliding downwards the river like a lost anchor.

"Oh no! What's wrong?" Boruto asked, about to save his father's friend as Mitsuki's eyes narrowed.

"It appears everything has taken a toll on him…" Mitsuki said as Naruto and his friends' eyes widened in horror as they chased Yota before he finally came to dry land. Although…the glazed look in his eyes told the children everything as they caught up to Yota.

"Yota! Are you alright? Hey, Yota! C'mon, it'll be okay!" Naruto tried as he nearly shook his friend to stay in the world of living.

"Yota!" Shikamaru yelled in a voice that the children hadn't heard before.

"C'mon, wake up, Yota!" Choji tried urging his friend as Yota coughed a mouthful of water as he fought to stay consciousness.

Mitsuki had to turn away as he was used to seeing scenes like this while Boruto and Sarada looked near tears.

"…Thank goodness….you're all okay…you guys….Just trust me….everything's gonna be okay now…." Yota managed to weakly smile at his friends although his smile did nothing to perk up their mood. Rather, Naruto looked ready to strangle the boy as he realized the implication behind his words.

"You're gonna be fine! Stop talking like that! Snap out of it, Yota!" Naruto was about to shake the boy but thought better of it, realizing that would only exasperate the situation.

"Don't you see…I'm already…" Yota weakly muttered as the children in the memory looked close to tears.

"No! Don't say it Yota!" Choji yelled as Naruto lowered his head although he would not cry. Crying would not help the current situation.

"I'm sorry…if I hadn't been so reckless…" Naruto apologized as Boruto turned his head, trying not to let the tears fall.

"Dad, it wasn't your fault!" Boruto yelled although it didn't matter since Naruto couldn't hear him anyways.

"No, this is all my fault…" Kiba muttered as Akamaru weakly barked.

"I should've come up with a different plan…" Shikamaru looked down as he was about ready to give up…never thinking he would end up in a situation where he would lose a friend.

"Yota!" Sakura actually let a few tears fall.

"Oh Yota, I'm sorry!" Ino also let a few tears fall as Sarada bit her lips. It was no sense crying over someone long sense dead, although her mother's expression was literally breaking her heart as Yota looked touched that so many people cared for him.

It was then when he lifted his pinky finger weakly to his friends as he managed to smile a small smile at his friends.

"Time to go…" Yota muttered.

"What're you talking about!? From now on, we're gonna be…" Naruto rasped out, as the denial was finally leaving him as the acceptance of the situation finally hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Dad, quit blaming yourself….about Yota…" Boruto sighed, as he still forced himself not to cry.

"I'll never forget you…any of you… But all of you…will forget about me…." Yota smiled as Naruto actually let the tears he held back fall in full force, not caring if he had would have gotten made fun of or not.

"You're being ridiculous! How could we forget you!?" Naruto spat through his tears as he put his hand on Yota's as the other children followed his example.

"Wait, how could they forget him?" Sarada asked, her voice thin with tears, although it would make sense why her mother never mentioned Yota, even if he was dead.

"You have to forget…or it's too painful." Was all Yota said before a bright light filled the memory as all the children were asleep as the memory steadily darkened.

"…So that's how…dad and the others forgot…." Boruto wiped his eyes as he composed himself with Sarada.

"That was so sad…they were such good friends and they forgot about each other. It's not fair…" Sarada wiped her glasses with her finger that had gotten foggy with her crying.

"Who says life, especially in the Ninja World, has to be fair?" Mitsuki asked.

However the scene soon came back to the memory as Team Konohamaru suddenly found themselves in the classroom of Iruka-Sensei with Naruto dead in the front of the room.

"Transform!" Naruto yelled as he transformed into the Third Hokage…or rather a starved looking version of him with big lips and a huge nose similar to the one a goblin would have.

"…What….the…" Boruto blinked.

"Hell?" Sarada finished for Boruto as Mitsuki laughed.

"I see Lord Seventh hasn't gotten much better!" Mitsuki cheerfully remarked as Boruto looked lost.

"What is going on here?" Boruto asked in utter confusion as Naruto ended his jutsu before laughing as the class thought the whole scenario was hilarious.

"Just kidding! Just kidding! You didn't think that was for real, did ya?" Naruto cheerfully laughed as Iruka looked ready to breathe fire.

"That's enough, Naruto! I've worked with you on this countless times, so straighten up!" Iruka pointed at Naruto as the class only laughed harder as Naruto tensed, being put on blast in front of the class.

"Now try it again and this time, no messing around!" Iruka warned as Naruto immediately tensed as he made a hand sign.

"Transform!" Naruto said before turning into a form of Hiruzen that was pale and looked like a mummified version of the Third Hokage.

Mitsuki found it amusing while Boruto and Sarada had a bit of second hand embarrassment at the ridiculous transformation.

"Man…dad really was hopeless as a kid…" Boruto thought back to the kid version of Naruto that he met and while he was reckless, he at least had some skill.

"I wonder what changed?" Sarada asked as Iruka looked like he had to fight off a migraine that was pounding in his skull.

"…Are….you…serious?" Iruka asked as the class couldn't hold in their laughter anymore as they all nearly fell out of their chairs from laughing, some of which were banging their tables from laughing too hard.

None were laughing harder than Kiba.

"You can't even do a simple transformation jutsu!? How pathetic!" Kiba yelled over the rest as Boruto and Sarada glared at the younger incarnation of Kiba.

"…Well I can see Yota really wiped their memories of each other. They're definitely not like they were…" Boruto noted.

"It's so sad…they had a really good friendship…" Sarada frowned as Naruto had it with people laughing and mocking him before he broke his transformation jutsu.

"You all just wait! Someday I'll be the Hokage!" Naruto yelled although this led the children only to laugh harder at him.

"Yeah, right! On what planet!?" Kiba roared as the class were practically roaring laughter at Naruto who clenched his fists as he looked close to tears.

"From humble beginnings, indeed." Mituski noted as Boruto was able to catch a glance at his mother who looked like she wanted to say something…to comfort him…but alas she couldn't.

The scene changed as several children were running together, obviously discussing plans for the evening time as Naruto walked by his lonesome, taking note of Shikamaru, Ino and Choji happily walking together while Kiba and Shino ran by.

"I'm…all…alone…" Naruto looked down as Team Konohamaru's hearts went out to the young boy.

"…How much more of this do we have to see?" Boruto asked as Sarada and Mitsuki wondered the same thing.

Eventually Naruto took notice of Sasuke's backside.

Naruto's lips curved upwards into a smile as he seemed like he was about to try to call out to Sasuke.

"Hey Sas-"Naruto was about to call out in an attempt to hang out with him before his smile dropped as he pulled his arm down before looking down as Sasuke just walked off, not noticing Naruto.

"What was all that about?" Sarada asked as Mitsuki sighed.

"Like Boruto said, Lord Seventh would like to try to form a connection with Mr. Sasuke but his jealousy of his superior social standing is preventing him from doing so." Mitsuki explained as Boruto shook his head, knowing exactly what his father was feeling, to some degree.

"Just like with how you and Lord Seventh would've been…maybe if you two would've talked before than whole Momoshiki incident, you wouldn't have resorted to cheating with those ninja tools?" Sarada asked.

"Yeah….I should've known better that dad did care about me, Himawari and mom but my stupid pride kept me from talking to him. I just wanted to get stronger than dad. I felt like talking would've been a waste…" Boruto looked down before smiling.

"Oh well. Things are better now." Boruto smiled as the scene suddenly changed as the team found themselves right in Iruka's classroom.

"Good grief, these scene changes are so random. We end up in one place and then the next…like geez." Sarada sighed as the sound of snoring got the three's attention.

They all turned to seeing Naruto, Shikamaru and Choji all sleeping and snoring, getting the attention of Iruka and the other kids in the room.

"Morons." Boruto muttered.

"And it looks like Master Iruka isn't going to be so happy." Mitsuki laughed as Iruka growled as he harshly woke the three up by smacking their heads with the textbook in his head.

"Naruto! Shikamaru! Choji! The three of you, go stand out in the hallway!" Iruka yelled.

"What!?" All three boys groaned.

"No 'whats'!" Iruka spat as the three boys all sighed.

"Yes sir…" Naruto, Shikamaru and Choji all half-heartedly agreed as they did just that, standing out in the hallway of the Academy.

"They're like the delinquent trio." Sarada snorted as all the children looked as if they were ready to fall asleep.

"Perfect name." Boruto laughed while Naruto sighed.

"Man…Iruka-Sensei got mad at me again…" Naruto sighed as Choji opened his snack bag.

"Um…I've got snacks. Want some?" Choji offered as Naruto and even Shikamaru's face beamed with joy.

"Oh yeah I would!" Naruto grinned as the three all shared chips with each other as Team Konohamaru all smiled at the sight. After the last couple of memories of Naruto being all alone and sullen, it was nice to have something that's a change of pace.

"A glutton like his daughter." Mitsuki bluntly stated with a laugh.

"Mitsuki!" Sarada chastised her teammate, wondering how he could be so inconsiderate.

"That's might nice of Uncle Choji." Boruto smiled as the three eventually fell asleep, although Iruka didn't notice as he walked outside of his classroom to meet the three.

"Okay guys, have you thought about the way you've behaved?" Iruka asked and if he thought he was gonna get an apology from the trio and promises that they would improve, the Chunin was cruelly mistaken as all three boys were sound asleep.

Team Konohamaru all chuckled at Iruka's expression which changed from rage, to acceptance to slight amusement before he screamed waking all three boys.

"Iruka-Sensei! You scared us, ya know!" Naruto yelled as he threw his arms up, nearly wetting himself.

"I'm gonna kill you…." Shikamaru growled as Choji just looked around in confusion.

"Huh!? What happened? What happened!?" Choji breathed.

Team Konohamaru just found the whole scene amusing.

"Serves them right." Boruto snickered.

"I must say it's nice not to see Lord Seventh alone anymore." Sarada smiled as her teammates smiled their agreements.

Soon Iruka let the three go as they all walked through town.

"So I did all that and then I went to the usual spot." Naruto smiled walking with the two as they actually looked interested in his tale.

"Huh, so that's what happened." Shikamaru smiled as Choji continued eating his snacks before holding his bag to Naruto.

"Naruto, want some snacks?" Choji asked as Naruto grinned.

"Oh, thank you!" Naruto grinned as he happily accepted the junk food.

"The three muskateers." Boruto smiled as the team all stopped as they noticed something.

"Look, over there!" Shikamaru pointed as Team Konohamaru looked to seeing Ino offer Sasuke a flower, although he was uninterested with the gesture before walking away, leaving Ino in tears.

"Man…talk about harsh…" Sarada muttered, feeling for her Auntie Ino.

"I wonder where Uncle Sai is?" Boruto asked.

"He'll definitely show himself sooner or later." Mitsuki answered as Shikamaru and the boys all snickered.

"Oh no. What are those boys planning?" Sarada groaned before they made their way to Ino who was wiping her tears.

"What? Seriously? What a drag." Shikamaru said with amusement present in his voice.

"Nope, nope. No women for me!" Naruto and Choji practically laughed as that set off Ino before she chased the three knuckleheads around the village, intending to pummel their heads in.

"Sheesh! Auntie Ino was one scary kid!" Boruto gulped, knowing better not to insult Sakura in front of Sarada.

"Serves those jerks right." Sarada scoffed, not feeling any ounce of pity for the three brats.

"That Ino…she's terrible when she gets mad!" Shikamaru breathed as it looked like the three had lost Ino.

"At least Inojin's not like that." Mitsuki chuckled.

"Hey! Over there! Over there! I spy a pervy Iruka-Sensei!" Naruto pointed as the boys all ran to Iruka who looked as if he was trying to put the move on a couple of ladies.

"A lady killer, huh?" Boruto deadpanned.

"Oh c'mon…" One of the three women winked at him seductively making him blush.

"What? I don't know what to say." Iruka rubbed his head bashfully before the sound of footsteps got his attention.

"Oh, it's you, Naruto. What're you doing out so late? Kids shouldn't be-"Iruka tried to say before the yelling of "Sexy Jutsu!" cut him off.

"He sure has gotten better at it." Mitsuki remarked, actually looking impressed with how far Naruto's Sexy Jutsu had come alone.

"Are you seriously impressed over that!?" Sarada yelled as Iruka actually fell back with a nosebleed making the women who were previously hitting on him scatter.

"Still not better than mine." Boruto huffed.

"What's wrong with you two!?" Sarada yelled at her two teammates.

Eventually night fall hit with the three boys ending up under a light post.

"See you later, Naruto. Your Sexy Jutsu was awesome!" Shikamaru raised a hand in leaving while Choji also smiled at Naruto.

"Bye-bye, Naruto!" Choji waved.

"Of course they'd be impressed with it…" Sarada face palmed. Were all boys this perverted?

"But at least dad enjoyed himself for the first time since that Yota incident." Boruto smiled.

Naruto just blinked, not believing his luck. He was actually able to hang out with kids and unlike the nonsense with Hibachi and Unagi, this was actually real and genuine kindness he received.

He continued watching them mutter about the dinner they'd be having before he smiled and waved back at them.

"See you tomorrow!" Naruto smiled before the foggy mist enveloped Team Konohamaru as the memory came to an end.

* * *

Aww, Naruto….you were a poor lonely child but now you're an amazing man with a nice family and the respect and love of not just the Leaf Village but the entire world as well! ^_^

And also, Naruto and Shikamaru's relationship is just something precious isn't it? ^_^

TBH I prefer the NaruShika bond over NaruSasu's! DON'T ME! XD

And I know you all are gonna be happy when I say that the next chapter will be the **OFFICIAL **start of the Naruto series! Especially since I know that's what you all were coming here for! XD

Now I know some of you might be wondering why didn't I just get into the start of the Naruto series with Chapter 2 **BUT** I feel like these childhood chapters were necessary to set the stages for who Naruto was and how everything started before everything led to the way it did…

Either way I'm **SUPER** excited to be getting into the start of the Naruto series and hopefully you all will continue to support the story as I continue cranking out more chapters!

Thank you all so much for reading and stay tuned for chapter 6 coming next Wednesday January 22nd so until then please let me know your thoughts on this chapter, how everything is handled, how I've been handling the characterizations and so on and so forth.

Til next time, later guys and I will survive the remainder of Junior Year! XD


	6. The Adventure Begins

And this chapter begins the **OFFICIAL** start of the Naruto series! I just hope I can do it justice….since unlike the last couple of chapters which were memories based on Fillers and my own original content, this is the actual series itself…..Especially since I prefer Part 1 over Shippuden (How many are there that prefer Part 1 over Shippuden like me? XD)

Oh well, here we go!

* * *

"You know, even though dad's childhood was horrible, I'm glad he met people like Uncle Shikamaru." Boruto smiled.

"I've noticed, nowadays, they seem really close and I can now see why." Mitsuki added.

"Yeah, while most people never gave him the time of day, Mister Shikamaru and even Mister Choji would try to talk to him and they weren't outright mean to him." Sarada finished as that arose another question in Boruto's mind.

"I wonder, how come we didn't see more of them hanging out." Boruto said, a little sad.

"Based on how Lord Seventh seemed surprised that they actually wanted to hang out with him and even looked a little sad when they left it could be that they were distant friends?" Sarada suggested.

"….Distant friends, huh?" Boruto asked, more to himself than to the Uchiha on his team.

Before Team Konohamaru could discuss any more of the bond between Naruto and Shikamaru, the foggy mist enveloped the team as the next memory started.

Team Konohamaru found themselves in the middle of the Leaf Village with it being early morning.

"I wonder what we're gonna see now?" Mitsuki asked before a groan got the attention of both the sons of Naruto and Orochimaru respectively.

"What's wrong?" Boruto asked as Sarada just buried her face in her hands.

"Just look above." Sarada sighed as she pointed at all the Hokage faces as Boruto and Mitsuki looked to seeing a certain lock of blonde hair scribbling all over the four Hokage faces.

"Is that?" Mitsuki asked as Boruto nearly fell back on his butt from laughing so hard.

"Man that is rich!" Boruto laughed as he got up from wiping a tear from his eye as he and his team ran to the Great Stone Faces where several profane words, swirly symbols and even turd and crap symbols were drawn all over the four Hokage faces.

"Déjà vu…" Sarada muttered, remembering Boruto doing this very same thing years ago with the only difference being the available Hokage faces.

As the team reached the Hokage faces, they noticed the culprit was none other than Naruto Uzumaki himself, something that didn't surprise the three based on everything they had seen in these memories.

"Hahaha!" Naruto laughed, proud of his handiwork. However the team had noticed that rather than the young toddler or child they had gotten accustomed to seeing in the last couple of memories, this Naruto looked closer to their age, being twelve years of age.

"Hey stop causing trouble!" One ninja yelled, tired of Naruto's constant pranking crap.

"Stop doing this!" Another one said.

"You'll pay for this!" A third ninja roared, irate at Naruto's work.

"Look at what he did!" A fourth ninja yelled, wondering why Hiruzen would let such a disrespectful little brat stay in the village.

"And looks like Lord Seventh has drawn a crowd of fans." Mitsuki said with a laugh.

"Shut up you morons! None of you would be able to do anything like this! But I can! I'm incredible!" Naruto bragged in a voice that easily ended whatever patience the ninja had with him as two stepped up to bring him into Lord Hokage so he can get his comeuppance from Hiruzen.

"And he's pissed them off." Sarada dryly noted while Boruto scoffed at his dad when he got done laughing.

"I've done way better than that." Boruto rolled his eyes.

"Quit comparing stupidity!" Sarada roared, smacking Boruto's skull.

"You disrespectful little brat! You just wait til we get our hands on you!" One ninja yelled as he and another ninja jumped right at Naruto only for Naruto to easily get himself away.

"Kiss my ass!" Naruto yelled as the two ninja's faces went red with rage.

"And there they go." Sarada deadpanned as Naruto laughed, sending the two on a goose chase as they chased him around the village.

"Naruto! Come back here! When I get my hands on you!" One of the ninja chasing him with an eyepatch yelled.

"You've crossed the line this time, Naruto!" The second of the ninja yelled as Naruto merely laughed as the two chased Naruto in an attempt to bring him to Lord Hokage only to fail as Naruto was evading them with little to no problem.

"Give it up! You're just bent because you don't have the guts to do what I do! Do ya!? Losers! Wannabees! You'll never catch me, hahaha!" Naruto laughed as that only seemed to fire up the two ninja chasing him even more.

The whole scenario was rather comical to Boruto and Mitsuki as seeing grown trained ninja struggling to catch a child over half their size was pretty entertaining to watch.

"And he doesn't even realize he's painted over his father's face." Mitsuki chuckled pointing to Minato's face.

"Meh I did to my dad's face. Even peed on it." Boruto snickered as Sarada's eyes glittered with a devious glint.

"And didn't she use her Eight Trigrams on you for that stupid shit?" Sarada smirked as Boruto immediately paled, remembering the deadly aftermath of his stupid prank as he gulped before looking down.

The chase lasted for a good ten minutes before Naruto managed to finally evade the two using camouflage.

"Naruto! Hold on!" Both of the ninja yelled right as Naruto threw off the tarp he used to blend into one of the fences.

"These are supposed to be ninja yet they're tricked by an Academy student." Sarada dryly noted.

"Then again Lord Seventh is unpredictable." Mitsuki laughed as Naruto smirked, thinking he was in the clear.

"That was too easy!" Naruto laughed, not noticed a certain scar-faced Chunin behind him.

"Oh yeah Naruto!?" A very irate Iruka yelled, scaring Naruto to the point where he jumped and landed right on his butt in fright.

"And there's the end of that. You got a lot to learn dad." Boruto sighed as Sarada had to be restrained by Mitsuki from whacking his skull, again.

"Where'd you come from Iruka-Sensei? What're you doing here?" Naruto asked with annoyance heavily present in his voice as Iruka shared Naruto's irritated feelings.

"No what are you doing here? You're supposed to be in class!" Iruka snapped before Naruto was eventually restrained and bounded by rope before he was kindly escorted back to the Ninja Academy, courtesy of Iruka where he was dropped in the front of the classroom while the classmates of Naruto looked at Naruto with feelings of either annoyance, amusement or flat out apathy.

"Hmph!" Naruto scoffed as Iruka looked at Naruto with a look of disappointment and disapproval.

"Tomorrow is the Ninja Academy's graduation exam and you've failed it the last two times! This isn't the time for you to be causing trouble!" Iruka exclaimed with a visible vein in his forehead much to Team Konohamaru's shock.

"Wait, dad failed the graduation exam twice?" Boruto asked in disbelief. Yeah the younger version of his dad may have been a bit unorthodox but the fact that he failed twice? His moher was on his butt for the duration he was at home for the two weeks he was home following his very gracious Academy entrance.

"That's weird. I wonder what caused that?" Sarada asked as Mitsuki was the one to come up with an answer.

"With how he's performed in these memories thus far is it too farfetched to assume that he probably took the exam probably when he wasn't ready for them? Not to mention that unlike us, he doesn't have anyone to properly train with." Mitsuki explained as Boruto and Sarada looked down as they realized the snake was right.

"…You have a point…" Boruto dismally muttered while the Naruto in the memory couldn't feel any more opposed to how Boruto and Sarada felt.

"Whatever." Naruto rolled his eyes as that was the last straw for Iruka.

"Fine! Because you missed it, Naruto! Everyone will review the Transformation Jutsu!" Iruka yelled as nearly everyone groaned in dismay.

"Nice one, dad." Boruto snickered.

"I wonder…just what led Lord Seventh to graduate?" Sarada asked.

"Either way, he became a ninja so we know he graduates eventually." Boruto answered as Sakura was the first one to go.

"Alright, Sakura here, let's do it!" Sakura said as she transformed into a perfect replica of Iruka.

"Transformed into me, good." Iruka looked pleased.

"That's my mom." Sarada smiled as Sakura was also pleased at the passing mark she received.

"Yes! I did it!" Sakura beamed before turning to Sasuke, "Sasuke, did you see that!?" Sakura asked in excitement, hoping her crush had noticed her. Naturally Sasuke was uninterested in her, much to Sarada's disappointment.

"Next. Sasuke Uchiha." Iruka said as Sasuke stepped up and made a perfect transformation into Iruka.

"Good. Next, Naruto Uzumaki." Iruka said as Sasuke deactivated his jutsu. Shikamaru and Ino were not pleased with the short blonde however.

"This is a total waste of time, Naruto." Shikamaru scowled at Naruto.

"We always pay for your screw-ups." Ino glared at the blonde as he looked indifferent to their comments.

"Well dad and Old Man Shikamaru definitely don't seem all that close here…" Boruto muttered as Naruto took his step forward as he tapped the top of his goggles as a mischievous smile adorned his features.

"Oh god." Sarada groaned, already recognizing that look in Naruto's eyes after seeing it so many times since they came into these memories.

"Poor mom…" Boruto face-palmed as it looked like this was another instance of his mother wishing his father good luck only for him not to be paying her anymind.

"Transform!" Naruto yelled before transforming not into Iruka but into an older, naked version of him if he were a woman.

"He's definitely improved." Boruto snickered.

"Will you quit comparing your disgusting jutsus already!?" Sarada yelled at her teammate as Mitsuki tilted his head in thought.

"I wonder what'd happen if he made a male version of it." Mitsuki bluntly stated, not paying any attention to the bewildered looks of his teammates, who had those expressions for very different reasons.

Naturally the jutsu worked on Iruka as he fell back with a huge nosebleed, a feat that didn't surprise Team Konohamaru as they had been used to this jutsu being Iruka's weakness ever since they came into these memories.

"CUT THE STUPID TRICKS! THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING!" Iruka yelled as he shoved nose plugs in his nose, as the poor Naruto was left to his wrath.

"Man…if only I knew Old Man Iruka was a perv, I coulda used the Sexy Jutsu on him to sway him not to punish us after all that Kagura shit." Boruto muttered.

"You!" Sarada was about to chide her teammate before realizing Boruto may have had a point.

The scene suddenly shifted from the inside of Iruka's classroom to where the Hokage heads were as Team Konohamaru were baring witness to Naruto cleaning the mess he had made earlier that day.

"This sucks, loser." Naruto muttered bitterly, not at all happy about having to clean his handiwork though Iruka was having none of it.

"You're not going home until you clean off every single drop of paint." Iruka sternly said, not caring for Naruto's temper tantrum as Naruto scoffed.

"So what? It's not like there's anyone waiting at home for me!" Naruto looked back down with a scoff as not just Team Konohamaru but Iruka looked to the boy with an empathetic expression in their eyes. It was true. If Naruto had someone at home to care for and look out for them then he would not have to resort to pranks and vandalism for attention.

"Naruto?" Iruka asked with a softened inflation in his tone although Naruto was too angry at Iruka to notice.

"What do you want now, sensei?" Naruto asked although the team knew the 'sensei' part of Naruto's question was more in a mocking or demeaning tone.

"Well…I was just thinking. Maybe after you clean this all up, I could take you out for ramen, the good stuff. What do you think?" Iruka asked as all the anger in Naruto's expression was replaced with a broad grin.

"Now that's some serious motivation! I'll have this clean in no time!" Naruto beamed as he immediately got to finishing his cleaning as both Iruka and Team Konohamaru laughed at the young boy's enthusiasm.

"Say the magic word." Boruto shook his head with a laugh.

"Like mom always told me, the day to a man, is through his stomach." Sarada snorted as eventually Naruto got his work done by Evening time as the two sat down and enjoyed nice, steamy bowls of ramen at Ichiraku.

"Naruto?" Iruka asked as Naruto paused from his eating to acknowledge the Chunin.

"Why would you do that to the Hokage faces? I mean, you know who the Hokage are, don't you?" Iruka asked the young boy who stared at Iruka before slurping down his ramen to answer the scarred ninja.

"Of course I do. Everybody knows. They were the greatest shinobi of their time, right? Undefeated ninja champs? And the Fourth Hokage's the one who saved the village from the Nine Tailed Fox. He was the most amazing…" Naruto said with admiration in his voice for the Fourth.

"If only he knew…" Boruto looked down, wondering how Naruto figured out who his dad was.

"Then why did you?" Iruka asked, not quite understanding Naruto's logic in defacing the stone monuments.

"Because I'm going to be greater than any of them. Me. Naruto, the next Hokage. A ninja legend! Then everyone will have to stop disrespecting me and look up to me! Believe it!" Naruto grinned as Team Konohamaru all smiled at the young boy.

"And he does, ya know!" Boruto grinned.

"It's definitely gonna be one heck of a Hero's Journey to see how he got so strong." Sarada smirked as he wished she could sit down as she had a feeling these memories would definitely be a long ride.

Iruka didn't share Team Konohamaru's impressed feelings as he just looked bewildered.

"Oh, by the way, I kind of want to ask a little favor, sensei." Naruto smiled with his eyes closed, making him look like a small fox.

"You want another bowl?" Iruka asked as Naruto shook his head "no".

"Uh-uh. I uh….wanna I want to try on your headband. C'mon, please!" Naruto put his hands together in a small begging motion, making Team Konohamaru chuckle.

"He looks so dorky." Boruto snickered.

"Well can you blame him? After missing his first two chances to graduate, of course he'd want to know what the object of graduation would feel like." Mitsuki reminded Boruto as the team all smiled as they remembered the feeling of pride and accomplishment when they received their ninja headbands.

"Oh this? No way. You can only wear the Leaf headband when you finally graduate from the Academy and become a ninja. You've got to pass the test tomorrow." Iruka smiled at Naruto who immediately turned his head away in a childish pout.

"That is so uncool!" Naruto spat.

"Is that why you took your goggles off?" Iruka teased as Naruto puffed his cheeks.

"I want another bowl!" Naruto pouted as if he wasn't gonna get to wear Iruka's headband, he was gonna milk him for every cent he was worth! Realizing this, Iruka and Team Konohamaru all chuckled at the young boy.

"Oh dad." Boruto laughed before the scene suddenly shifted to morning as Team Konohamaru found themselves in Iruka's classroom.

"Welp, here we go." Boruto asked, wishing he could sit down.

"We will now start the Final Exam. When your name is called, proceed to the testing room. The final test will be on the clone jutsu." Iruka said as Naruto immediately paled.

"Wait, he still sucks at it?" Boruto asked, just wondering how a jutsu he was so terrible at would later become his Hallmark of ninja abilities.

"I wonder what changed?" Sarada asked as it was eventually Naruto's turn to go.

"C'mon, dad, you got this!" Boruto cheered for his dad even though he couldn't hear him as Naruto gathered the necessary chakra for his jutsu.

"Clone Jutsu!" Naruto yelled although what he wanted and what came out was two totally different things as the clone Naruto had produced was pale and dead looking.

"And…you don't got this…." Boruto sighed as Naruto quickly turned to Iruka as he hoped that maybe effort alone would have been enough for him to pass. This time, he definitely had to pass!

Although the twitch in Iruka's eyes and the clenching of his jaw quickly made Naruto lose hope.

"YOU FAIL!" Iruka yelled, making Naruto fall over on his head.

"What!?" Boruto and Sarada exclaimed simultaneously.

"That's so weird…if he failed….but wait, when I went to the past, Dad was obviously in the graduating class with everyone who also took the exams here, so what changed!?" Boruto demanded to know as both of his teammates couldn't produce an answer.

"Iruka-Sensei, he's off but his moves weren't bad and he did hang in there and replicate. This is his third try so you know, he really wants to become a ninja. We could cut him a break and pass him." A man with white hair sitting right next to Iruka suggested, much to Naruto's joy.

"Is that how dad made it?" Boruto asked as Mitsuki quickly shook his head.

"No. Putting a clone like that on the battlefield would only get Lord Seventh killed." Mitsuki bluntly stated as Iruka proved Mitsuki's assertion to be correct.

"Mizuki-Sensei, the other students created at least three effective replications. But Naruto could only create one. And look at it, it's pitiful. I can't pass him." Iruka stated with disappointment heavily in his voice as Mizuki looked just as disappointed with Iruka's words as Naruto looked close to tears.

Was his dream to become a Hokage nothing but a pipe dream?

The scene shifted to outside of the Ninja Academy where Team Konohamaru looked to find Naruto under a tree under the same swing set they had gotten accustomed to them seeing. It was almost as if that swing set was a relevant setting in a story.

On the swing, Naruto sat with an expression of utter hopelessness and angst on his face.

"Oh dad…..I'm…sorry…" Boruto apologized, now feeling regret for seeing a multitude of Naruto's failures that ultimately resulted in nothing at the current moment of these memories as he tried reaching for the young boy's shoulders to console him…to let him know that things were all right only to phase right through him.

What didn't help Naruto's mood was two women staring at him, scowls full of hatred and disdain present on their faces.

"Look. Do you see him? It's that boy. I heard he's the one who failed." One of the women with brown hair talked to her friend, not caring if Naruto overheard her.

"Hmph. Well it serves him right. Just imagine what would happen if he became a ninja, I mean he's the boy who-"The woman with black hair muttered as her friend was quick to shut her up.

"These bastards are really pissing me off." Boruto cracked his knuckles, not believing these were the very same people who were literally crying over Naruto when he was thought to have died against Momoshiki and Urashiki.

The sound of footsteps got Naruto's attention as he looked to see none other than Mizuki giving him a kind smile. Immediately Team Konohamaru were on edge.

"I don't trust that guy. He seems too sketchy." Boruto scowled as Sarada and Mitsuki nodded their agreement.

"I agree. Although sketchy is an understatement." Sarada said as Naruto tilted his head in confusion as he put on his goggles.

"Mizuki-Sensei?" Naruto asked in confusion.

"Naruto, why don't you come with me?" Mizuki offered as Naruto decided to follow him, not having anything better to do since he wouldn't be an upcoming ninja.

"Iruka-Sensei's tough but he's not against you." Mizuki tried reasoning with Naruto who vented to him as they sat atop a building that overlooked the entire village.

"Then why? Why only me?" Naruto asked, not believing the Chunin.

"He wants you to be strong with all his heart but that will never happen if he goes easy on you. He's like you, you know…no parents…no family…" Mizuki added onto his previous statement with seemingly sympathy in his voice for the young boy. The tone of which made Naruto feel even more worthless.

"…But this time I really wanted to graduate…" Naruto looked down miserably as Team Konohamaru stated at the boy sadly.

"Oh dad…" Boruto looked down sadly.

"How did he graduate if he failed?" Mitsuki asked as Mizuki chuckled before he turned to Naruto.

"Heh, then I guess I have to tell you." Mizuki smiled as Naruto looked at his superior ninja in question.

"Huh?" Naruto tilted his head in confusion.

"It's a secret but I'm going to let you in on it." Mizuki smiled as Naruto's interest was peaked.

"A secret?" Naruto asked, intrigued as Team Konohamaru glared at the Chunin. What was he planning?

"Believe it or not, there's still a way for you to graduate." Mizuki stated as Naruto was immediately in Mizuki's face.

"What seriously!? What is it!? Tell me! Tell me!" Naruto yelled as Mizuki chuckled before calming Naruto down by putting his hands on his shoulders, setting the young boy down.

"Something about this smells fishy." Sarada shook her head.

"Tell me about it." Boruto agreed as Mizuki cleared his throat before addressing Naruto directly.

"Deep in the Hokage tower there lies a gigantic scroll known as the Forbidden Scroll of Sealing. You can find it in a special room near the Hokage's office. What's special is that there are several high ranked jutsu in it that only elite ninja can use. As someone that plans on becoming Hokage one day, I trust you should have no problem in using such jutsu, right?" Mizuki smiled, a bit too sweetly as Naruto took no notice of this as he was quick to jump at such an opportunity. Maybe his dreams for the future weren't done yet!

"Hell yeah! I'll take that scroll for ya, no problem! Thanks, Mzuki-Sensei!" Naruto immediately jumped off the roof of the building they were on. All the while missing the deadly scowl Mizuki sent his direction.

"That bastard! He's using dad's gullibility to his own advantage and when he gets the scroll he's gonna try to kill him for it!" Boruto spat, wishing he could lay into that Mizuki bastard.

"But as this already happened, all we can do is watch." Sarada reminded Boruto who suddenly gasped in realization.

"What's wrong?" Mitsuki asked.

"Wait a second…so that's what happened!" Boruto noted as his teammates only stared at him in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Sarada asked as Boruto was actually laughing a little, much to his teammates' bewilderment.

"Back when we were in the Ninja Academy, dad accused me of stealing the Forbidden Scroll only for Old Man Shikamaru to point out how there was someone who tried taking the scroll for power and I pointed out how that person was just horrible and not to compare me to them, dad paled and looked like he was gonna be sick. Huh…I'm surprised I didn't piece it together back then." Boruto shrugged as Sarada just shook her head in disbelief while Mitsuki chuckled.

"Opening up old wounds are we?" Mitsuki joked as Boruto scoffed.

"Oh please." Boruto rolled his eyes before he and his team went after Naruto who reached the Hokage tower by night fall as he snuck through the village. However right as he entered the Hokage tower….

"What do you think you're doing in my house at this hour?" Hiruzen asked as Naruto immediately paled.

"Busted!" Boruto snickered as Naruto immediately tried finding a way out of this before smiled mischievously.

"Sexy Jutsu!" Naruto yelled as Hiruzen was immediately out with a nosebleed.

"Surprise!" Sarada groaned with an eye roll as Naruto eventually reached the room where they kept the scrolls and after around ten minutes of searching, Naruto quickly found what he was looking for.

"Found it!" Naruto grinned before immediately jumped from the room and leapt off into the faraway forests where he wouldn't be found.

"He only found what he was looking for in ten minutes while it took me over five hours to find that memory scroll! What a trip!" Boruto pouted as Mitsuki laughed.

"Guess that means Lord Seventh is a better ninja than you, huh Boruto?" Mitsuki chuckled much to Boruto's chagrin.

"Oh, shut up!" Boruto scowled at Mitsuki as Sarada tilted her head.

"Huh, you know something? You'd think the room for all the scrolls would be guarded yet an Academy student was able to sneak in and take a dangerous scroll with no problem." Sarada blinked as Boruto realized what she was getting at.

"Yeah, same for me. I was in there for hours yet no one came in after me." Boruto shrugged as Sarada came to a conclusion.

"Wow…this village's security really sucks." Sarada muttered as Team Konohamaru followed Naruto to where he sat by an abandoned warehouse as he unfurled the scroll.

"Let's see…the first one is Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu…" Naruto muttered before groaning as he rubbed his head in frustration.

"Ugh! Not this again, it's my worst jutsu!" Naruto groaned in frustration much to Team Konohamaru's amusement.

"Better get your ass on it then!" Boruto snickered, wondering how long it'd be before someone found his father. If they found him, that is.

"Okay…well if I'm gonna be Hokage one day I need to be able to use jutsu from this scroll…." Naruto muttered in slight irritation before slowly getting up and making the hand signs for the jutsu.

"Okay…Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto yelled as he tried summoning a clone before his result from earlier in the morning was displayed right before him much to his frustration.

"You know something? With who dad's parents are, why is his chakra control so bad?" Boruto asked as Mitsuki put his hand to his chin in thought.

"It could be because of the Nine Tails inside of him that's what's disrupting his chakra control." Mitsuki surmised as Boruto stared at his teammate.

"You think so?" Boruto tilted his head as Sarada also decided to speak up.

"Not to mention, there's no proper balance with his chakra control and because of him not properly balancing his chakras, that's why his clones are no good. He needs to come up with a happy medium." Sarada noted as Boruto blinked as he realized they were right.

"You know, now that I think about it, dad's movements are pretty sloppy and uncoordinated compared to the dad I fought and trained with in the past." Boruto said as Naruto immediately tried again.

"Again!" Naruto yelled.

"Again! Again!" Naruto yelled as he attempted to try summoning more clones for the better part of around two hours to no avail before he suddenly realized something.

"Wait a second…I think I've realized what I'm doing wrong…Maybe….I'm exerting too much power….maybe…I should calm down when I'm doing it…calm down…and do it…right…" Naruto put his fingers together as he gathered his chakra before smiling broadly.

"I think I can do it! Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto yelled as over ten clones appeared right by his side, much to his happiness as well as Team Konohamaru's.

"He did it!" Boruto cheered.

"Yes!" Sarada cheered, high-fiving Boruto as Naruto quickly jumped up and down.

"I did it! Did it! Did it! Now let's see…." Naruto muttered before realizing his clones weren't illusions but rather flesh and blood clones.

"Man! He's sure to graduate now if someone could see him!" Boruto smirked.

"If I can make ten, let's see if I can do more!" Naruto beamed as he immediately conjured a hand sign for more clones.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto yelled before a hundred clones suddenly appeared around Naruto.

"A hundred!? In such a short amount of time?" Sarada nearly fell back in shock as Boruto suddenly felt inspired.

"When I get out of here, I'm gonna have dad train me so I can summon more Shadow Clones!" Boruto vowed, just thinking of how much of a badass he could be if he could summon hundreds of Boruto's clones.

"It would definitely be interesting." Mitsuki chuckled as Naruto smiled triumphantly at his accomplishment. He was sure to be a ninja now!

However the exhaustion and strain of using such a big jutsu suddenly hit Naruto like a ton of bricks as he fell to the ground on his knees as he quickly panted, attempting to catch his breath. As he did so, the sound of footsteps suddenly made him look up before he found himself face to face with none other than Iruka who looked less than pleased with Naruto.

"Oh boy…" Sarada could only wonder how irate Iruka was with Naruto.

"It's all over…" Iruka smiled through clenched teeth as Naruto looked actually happy to see Iruka, seemingly not noticed the forced smile through obvious anger Iruka was displaying.

"Hey! About time nosebleed! I found you!" Naruto grinned as that was enough to set off Iruka.

"No you fool! I found you!" Iruka yelled though Naruto only laughed in response along with Team Konohamaru at Iruka's rage though he quickly calmed down when he noticed Naruto's haggard state.

"Got me already. Not bad. You're quick, sensei. I only had time to learn one technique. So listen, Iruka-Sensei. I'm going to show you this amazing jutsu and you're going to let me graduate! Then everything will be okay! That's the way it works, right? Anyone who learns a jutsu from this scroll passes!" Naruto grinned as the confusion was literally written all over Iruka's face.

"Huh? Where'd you get that idea?" Iruka asked, his anger being masked by confusion as he was starting to realize Naruto was set up.

"Mizuki-Sensei told me about it, believe it! He told me where to find the scroll and this place!" Naruto explained as the color started to leave Iruka's face before he quickly pushed Naruto out of the way from incoming Kunai.

"Look out!" Iruka shoved Naruto out of the way as he was quickly impaled in the legs, chest and shoulder with numerous kunai.

"Old Man Iruka!" Boruto yelled as Mitsuki's eyes narrowed at the source.

"Mizuki…" Mitsuki noted as the calm, kind demeanor that was present in his features was now officially gone.

"He's finally shown himself." Sarada glared at the turncoat as he looked at Naruto.

"Naruto! Give me the scroll, now!" Mizuki ordered as Naruto looked utterly lost for words.

"Wait a minute…what's going on here?" Naruto asked to no one in particular as Iruka was quick to pull the Kunai from his chest, legs and shoulders.

"Naruto! Don't let Mizuki get the scroll! It contains forbidden jutsu that could put this village in grave danger. Mizuki used you to get the scroll for himself, for his own power!" Iruka explained as Mizuki looked smug at Naruto who glared at him.

"What's dad waiting on? He should kick his ass!" Boruto glared as Sarada quickly put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's a combination of confusion coupled with realizing he was being used and the realization of his quick shot to graduate from the Academy that's going up in flames that's probably keeping him from acting like he normally would." Sarada said as Mizuki merely chuckled at Iruka's assertion.

"Naruto, Iruka's just trying to scare you because he doesn't want you to have the scroll." Mizuki lied through his teeth as Naruto just looked between the two men, unable and unsure of what to believe.

"Stop lying, Mizuki! Don't let him trick you, Naruto!" Iruka tried warning Naruto who still stared blankly between the two, unsure of what to do.

"Oh I'll tell you who's really lying…" Mizuki chuckled as Iruka's eyes widened in horror.

"No, Mizuki!" Iruka yelled with a vein pulsing through his head.

"They've been lying to you your whole life, Naruto. Ever since the decree twelve years ago." Mizuki said as Team Konohamaru's hearts all dropped as they realized what was coming.

"This must be it…when dad finds out he has the Nine Tails…" Boruto's heart dropped, knowing that was far from a pleasant experience.

"Yeah…." Sarada nodded as she gulped, nervous of what's to come.

"…What decree?" Naruto asked, utterly lost.

"Everyone knows except you. Iruka's trying to hide it from you even now. He'd do anything to shut me up." Mizuki jeered at the complete perplexed expression on Naruto's face.

"What is this decree? Why does everyone know about it?" Naruto asked, curiosity replacing the dread he was feeling.

"Don't tell him! It's forbidden!" Iruka yelled though he was obviously ignored by the turncoat.

"The decree is no one can tell you the Nine Tailed Fox is inside you." Mizuki stated with a dark expression on his face as Naruto could feel his heart stop as all the breath left his body.

"….Huh?" Naruto barely breathed out as he felt his entire world start to spin as he felt like fainting.

"Dad…" Boruto gulped as his and Team Konohamaru's hearts all went out to the young boy.

"The Fox spirit that killed Iruka's parents and destroyed our village has taken over your body. You are the Nine Tailed Fox!" Mizuki finished as Iruka could only glare at the traitor.

"Stop it!" Iruka yelled, wishing he could do anything to shut Mizuki's filthy trap.

"They've all been sneaking around, hiding things from you your whole life. Didn't you think it was strange how they treated you? Like dirt! Like they hated you for just being alive!" Mizuki spat, finding amusement at Naruto's expression as Team Konohamaru saw flashes of the villagers' horrible treatment to Naruto throughout the years.

"Dad, don't listen to him!" Boruto yelled, wishing he could reach his father.

"He's right! You're not the fox, you're its jailor! There's a difference!" Sarada yelled out in agreement as Naruto felt tears sting his eyes as he grit his teeth as chakra started to gather around him, matching his feelings of anger and betrayal as he looked close to having a mental breakdown.

"And that's why you will never be accepted in this village! Even your beloved sensei hates your guts!" Mizuki jeered as he reached for the Shuriken on his back as Team Konohamaru's disdain for this man only seemed to increase.

"Oh no! He's gonna go for Lord Seventh!" Sarada yelled in dread as she watched as Mizuki twirled the Shuriken in his fingers.

"You bastard! Don't you dare touch him!" Boruto yelled as he summoned a clone for a Vanishing Rasengan before throwing it at the rogue ninja only for it to slip right through to him.

"Die Naruto!" Mizuki yelled as he threw the Shuriken at Naruto who could only fall back as he slowly saw the weapon fly towards him, seemingly frozen in fear.

"Lord Seventh!" Sarada yelled.

"Dad!" Boruto yelled as he tried pushing Naruto out of the way, only to phase right through him. Boruto's heart fell as the projectile seemed to slowly etch towards Naruto, seemingly in slow motion. Just as it was a hair's length from reaching him….

"NARUTO! GET DOWN!" The voice of Iruka-Sensei yelled as Naruto put his arms behind his head, not knowing how that would help but was seemingly ready to accept his death. After all…it's not like too much of anyone would miss him…

However…he opened his eyes as something wet and sticky hit his cheek. The metallic smell was blood….but not his blood…Iruka's blood…..

That's right…Iruka had taken the blow from Iruka directed towards Naruto as his back was impaled by the wide, metallic object.

Boruto's eyes had widened as it was very reminiscent to how his father had protected him against Momoshiki….

Sarada's eyes were also widened as this moment was dangerously similar to when Sasuke had protected her from Shin's attack.

Although Mitsuki couldn't understand his teammate's feelings, he at least had empathy for Iruka and Naruto and as he surveyed the scene he raised an eyebrow at Mizuki's expression. It was almost as if…there was some deep history between the two men…Almost as if he were sorry that he had impaled an old friend….

"….W-why?" Naruto managed to find his voice as Iruka bit his lips.

"Because…we're the same…..when I lost my parents, no one seemed to care. They didn't have time for me. They just forgot I was there. My grades dropped. I became the class clown. I just wanted them to see me and to know my name. My schoolwork wasn't good enough to get their attention so I did crazy things and I had to pay for it….It was hard…I know that's how you feel Naruto….You feel lonely and it hurts inside….and I could have been there for you more. I let you down…I'm sorry. No one should have to suffer like that. No one should have to be alone like that…" Iruka sobbed through his words as Team Konohamaru saw flashes of Naruto's first meeting with Iruka as his home room teacher followed by his subsequent harsh treatment of Naruto as Naruto gave his sensei a look of utter disbelief.

Boruto and Sarada were teary-eyed at the Chunin's words.

"Old Man Iruka…don't blame yourself…at least you're now…" Boruto wiped his eyes.

"Yeah…that's what counts." Sarada sniffled through her tears while Mizuki shared none of these feelings of sadness as he loudly laughed at the two, mainly Naruto.

"Don't make me laugh! Iruka always hated you! He was orphaned because the Nine Tailed Fox killed his parents and that beast is now inside you! He'd say anything to get that scroll from you!" Mizuki jeered as Team Konohamaru glared at him.

"Oh patronize him, why don't you!?" Sarada glared, wishing she could shut this asshole up with Genjutsu.

"I'm sick of this asshole! Dad should just kick his ass." Boruto muttered although he knew his father was in no mood for that right now as he looked at Mizuki and then Iruka.

Naruto didn't look angry or even sad. He just looked….exhausted….

Naruto then took off without a word, ignoring the shouts of Iruka as he continued running before coming to a tree as he quickly took a stop behind the tree as he didn't even know what to say.

"…I-I'm…a monster….." Naruto began as he looked down as he looked at his hands while tears built up in his eyes.

"Is there….anyone….that won't see me as a monster….? Why….is it just….me?" Naruto bit his lip as he wouldn't let himself cry. He wouldn't.

Team Konohamaru's hearts went out to the young boy as he let out his frustrations. No child should feel so unworthy and unloved.

"Dad, don't listen to that rat bastard Mizuki. You will find your own way and become someone beloved and loved by the village." Boruto said as Sarada looked down.

"To find out everyone knew about your darkest secret and not to tell you and just let you think it was just you all your life is taxing to anyone…even to someone as bright as Lord Seventh. He must no doubt feel betrayed and hurt…" Sarada said as Mitsuki was silent.

"I…" Naruto was about to say before he heard voices….two of them.

"You're a fool. Why are you protecting that freak? He's the one who wiped out your family!" Mizuki spat as Naruto peaked his head from behind the tree he was hiding behind

"I don't care what you say, you're not getting your hands on that scroll." Iruka argued back as his voice was enough to make Naruto turn his head back around with a blank expression as it was uncertain to know what he was thinking.

"Thank god, Old Man Iruka's here." Boruto sighed, practically saying the thoughts on his teammates.

"As if you could stop me. Don't you get it? Naruto is just like me." Mizuki smirked with absolution in his voice while Iruka only gazed at him.

"How's that?" Iruka decided to humor the fool.

"He wants the scroll for his own power and his own vengeance. That's how beasts are. He'll pour all his rage into the scroll and destroy everything." Mizuki stated with a matter of fact tone in his voice, much to Team Konohamaru's fury.

"I wish I could show you a beast you piece of sh-"Boruto spat.

"You're right." Iruka said as Boruto and Sarada's eyes widened in surprise.

"No way…it can't be." Sarada couldn't believe it. Was Iruka honestly agreeing with this idiot?

"No. Old Man Iruka wouldn't do that." Boruto said as Mitsuki was quick to agree with his teammate.

"He's right. Mister Iruka and Lord Seventh are too close nowadays." Mitsuki agreed with Boruto.

Although if Sarada was surprised, Naruto looked utterly defeated as he buried his face in the scroll.

"So it's true…Iruka-Sensei never believed in me….He thinks I'm some beast…some sort of…freak!" Naruto muttered as he looked close to tears before…..

"That is how beasts are. But that's not who Naruto is!" The voice of Iruka declared as Naruto's eyes widened in shock. He couldn't believe it. Was someone actually sticking up for him?

"Told ya so!" Boruto smirked as Sarada looked down with a blush.

"He's nothing like that! Naruto's one of a kind, works hard and puts his whole heart into it! Sure he messes up sometimes and everyone jumps on him but his suffering only makes him stronger. That's what separates him from being a beast. So you're wrong, he's nothing like the Nine Tailed Fox, he's Naruto Uzumaki of the Village Hidden in the Leaves!" Iruka pronounced as the Boruto and Sarada found themselves moved by his words.

"Old Man Iruka…" Boruto teared up as Sarada quickly wiped her eyes, ashamed at thinking Iruka was turning against Naruto like this Mizuki clown.

However, none were more teary-eyed than Naruto who was crying, not tears of sadness but tears of happiness as he had finally found someone who had acknowledged him.

Mizuki stared at Iruka in disbelief before jeering at him.

"Iruka, I was going to save you for later but I changed my mind. You're finished!" Mizuki yelled as he was going to make a pincushion out of Iruka.

"Dad! Quit crying and go save him!" Boruto yelled and almost as if he heard heard, Naruto cut Mizuki off with a harsh kick to his jaw, sending the Shuriken several yards before everyone.

"Not bad, for a little punk." Mizuki glared as Naruto fixed the traitor with a deadly glare.

"If you ever lay a hand on my sensei, I'll kill you!" Naruto spat as the Team Konohamaru stared proudly at the young boy, ready for him to give this traitor his just desserts.

"Such big words. I can completely destroy you with a single move!" Mizuki bragged as the three genin all rolled their eyes.

"This guy just loves to hear himself talk." Sarada scoffed as Naruto made a certain hand sign.

"Take your best shot, fool. I'll give it back to you a Thousand Fold!" Naruto spat as Mizuki glared at the young boy.

"Let's see you try! Show me what you can do, Nine Tailed Fox!" Mizuki said as Naruto smirked.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto yelled as over a Thousand Clones surrounded the Vicinity.

"Good god! How many clones are there!?" Boruto yelled as Sarada activated her Sharingan.

"Over a thousand!" Sarada answered as even Mitsuki looked shock.

"Well we can see why that's Lord Seventh's Hallmark jutsu." Mitsuki noted as Iruka looked nothing short of proud while Mizuki fell back on his butt as he tried searching a way out to no avail.

"If you're not coming! We're gonna come after you!" Naruto grinned as he and the clones all rounded on the traitor and the "fight" lasted for around ten minutes before the clones and Naruto eventually got bored as the traitor was left in a bloodied and bruised heap.

"Huh…and here I expected more…" Mitsuki said with a hint of disappointment in his voice as Team Konohamaru nodded in agreement.

"Hehe…sorry I kinda got carried away….you okay, Iruka-Sensei?" Naruto asked.

"Y-yeah…" Iruka answered before managing to smile at the young boy despite the pain he was in as he looked deep in thought before opening his eyes as he looked at Naruto.

"Hey Naruto. Come here a minute. I've got something I want to give you." Iruka said as Naruto looked confused.

"Huh? Why? What is it?" Naruto asked as Iruka laughed.

"Just do it." Iruka smiled as Naruto shrugged as he made his way over.

"Now close your eyes." Iruka said as Naruto gave Iruka a puzzled look before doing just that.

After a small while, Naruto started to get impatient.

"Sensei, how much longer?" Naruto asked as Iruka was nothing short of amused.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now." Iruka smiled as Naruto opened his eyes to find Iruka not wielding his headband anymore as he held his old green goggles in his hands.

It was then that both Naruto and Team Konohamaru realized what was happening.

"This must be when…" Boruto gasped as the sun slowly rose, as if to commemorate the happy moment.

"Congratulations, you graduate!" Iruka smiled as Naruto's expression was completely and utterly blank. It was impossible to know what was going through his mind.

"And to celebrate, we're going out for ramen tonight!" Iruka declared proudly as Naruto looked close to tears as his lips trembled before…

"Iruka-Sensei!" Naruto tackled Iruka in a tight hug as the two were happy for the future coming ahead…

Little did either of the two know that the legend of Naruto was slowly beginning….

As Team Konohamaru shared Naruto's feelings of happiness and achievement, little did any of them notice a small orange fox with nine tails perched on a tree branch not too far from where they were.

"Those brats…I hope they know what they're getting themselves into…" As the voice was none other than Kurama as he was in a cute form only one could dream about.

Now one could only wonder what Kurama was doing in Naruto's memories?

Well since he was now Naruto's unofficial protector, Kurama would always keep a watch for Naruto against any unwelcome visitors in case they tried any sort of harm against him.

Although since he knew Team Konohamaru had no ill will with the memory scroll they picked up, he didn't threaten to eat them as he knew they weren't bad, even the son of that snake bastard Orochimaru whom Kurama thoroughly enjoyed handing him his ass. He couldn't wait until they got to that particular memory. And as such, he would act as a guide of sorts for the three.

"I can only wonder how that Uchiha girl will react upon seeing Sasuke's….treachery…" Kurama pondered remembering the Uchiha drama during all that Shin mess before shrugging.

"Oh well, they'll cross that bridge when they come to it." Kurama said as the bluish-purple foggy mist enveloped the three, ending the memory.

* * *

The journey has officially began!

Hopefully I can do this series justice and since I've officially started the series, I've started a small little bet with myself!

It's a challenge of whether I can get through all the Part 1 Events before the end of 2020! Can I reach it? We shall see!

And I know some people might notice this chapter was shorter than the previous ones BUT since this is the start of Naruto's journey I figured this would suffice since I didn't wanna place too **MUCH **into one chapter! But I **PROMISE** the following chapters **WILL** get longer! Especially the farther I get down into the series….

And also….even though I had Shikamaru and Teuchi be close with Naruto in my stories, how I've interpreted their bond with Naruto is that while they were close, it was really Iruka that took the initiative to get to know Naruto. That's how I've always seen that bond while Shikamaru and Naruto were more or less distant friends and while Teuchi and Naruto had more of a customer-employee relationship.

And yeah, we all know Kurama wouldn't let just anybody in Naruto's head! His role should be fairly obvious and we just gotta love Naruto and Iruka's bond! Thank you, Iruka!

I hope you all enjoyed Chapter 6 and Chapter 7 will be coming out **NEXT** Wednesday, January 29th so expect it then and until then please enjoy this chapter, leave me your thoughts and I'll see you lovely folk same time next week! ^_^


	7. Enter Konohamaru Sarutobi

I just wanna say I'm sorry for delaying the chapter and I'm sorry for making a note explaining why I did and if it annoys you guys, but I feel if I just let the day pass without updating the chapter when promised, I feel as if I'd be cheating you guys and that'd be unfair so that's why but thankfully I updated the chapter **THIS** time so there is that! Like I said, if I can't reach the first scheduled day, I always reach the second one as I try to be a woman of my word!

Now without further ado, let the chapter begin already! ^_^

* * *

"So that's how dad became a ninja…" Boruto looked down with a small smile as both of his teammates had similar feelings.

"It's pretty ironic. Mizuki's plan on getting Lord Seventh ejected from the Ninja Academy was what actually what led Naruto graduating the Ninja Academy in the end. If that's not irony, I don't know what is." Mitsuki chuckled.

"I feel bad for Lord Seventh….he spent his whole life being lied to and deceived by the villagers. It's almost a wonder that he never went rogue from the village or defected since he had no real reason to stay in a village that treated him like crap." Sarada frowned.

"It's because he knew that if he left or went wild, especially when he found out the Nine Tails was inside of him, it only would have proven the villagers' right and so obviously he would do anything to change the negative stigma about him." Boruto explained as something else came to Sarada's mind.

"Hey, you know what's weird? Despite that headband being obviously a lot to him, he doesn't wear it anymore." Sarada noted as Boruto blinked before having the same epiphany.

"Yeah…..it's strange because you could tell how happy he was when he had it even though he didn't show it on his face." Boruto said as he could remember the intensity of such a scene. He had a feeling that it wasn't just the fact that he graduated the Academy that had Naruto silent with a heavy heart but rather the fact that Iruka had entrusted him with his own ninja headband…almost as if he were passing a torch and he entrusted Naruto with his own treasure.

"It could be a similar case to Lord Fourth where if a majorly serious threat comes to the village, then Lord Seventh will put on his headband. Think about it, Lord Fourth didn't wear a headband yet he put it on when that Masked Man appeared." Mitsuki said as Sarada tilted her head.

"But why didn't he wear it when Momoshiki, Kinshiki and Urashiki attacked?" Sarada asked.

"Well back then we all thought that all what was gonna happen was just the Chunin Exams and we'd all go home nice and happy. Those three attacking was just a surprise." Boruto surmised.

Before Sarada could say anything, the bluish-purplish foggy mist suddenly enveloped the three as they were ejected from the black void they were in before they found themselves right on the Hokage Office root top.

"What's going on her-"Sarada tried asking before the curious question of hers mutated into visible annoyance.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Sarada groaned as Boruto looked at her in confusion.

"What's got your so pis-"Boruto caught Sarada's eye before he snickered as Mitsuki also chuckled as they looked to see Naruto with his face painted to the point where he resembled a literal clown.

"Talk about the class clown." Mitsuki laughed as Sarada face-palmed.

"Ugh…how could Lord Seventh be so…..ridiculous?" Sarada sighed as Boruto put a hand on her shoulder.

"Oh c'mon! Liven up and learn to appreciate some humor every now and then!" Boruto snickered as he wished his dad would be more like this later in his lifetime.

"Why is Lord Seventh like that anyways? This has to be when he's taken his ninja registration photo taken since he's graduated from the Ninja Academy, right?" Sarada asked.

"Well he obviously wants to leave his mark on history." Boruto snorted as he had to commend his father for his guts in such idiocy. If Hinata caught Boruto doing any foolishness like that for his Ninja Registration photo…

"Listen kid…..you sure you want me to take your picture like that?" The photographer tasked with taking Naruto's graduated picture looked at Naruto like he just wanted to smack Naruto in the skull with his camera for having the temerity for asking him to take such an asinine photo.

"Just do it, come on already! Come on! Come on!" Naruto practically begged the poor man who sighed in defeat.

"Don't blame me later….now say cheese!" The man said before Naruto's clown picture was taken. All Naruto needed was a red wig and a yellow jumpsuit with red and white sleeves and an M on the outfit and he'd definitely resemble a clown now.

With his registration photo successfully taken, Naruto quickly washed off his face before making his way to the Ninja Academy where he handed Hiruzen his graduation photo.

To say Hiruzen looked displeased was an understatement.

If Naruto noticed, he obviously didn't care as he grinned proudly at his handiwork while laughing as he rubbed the back of his head bashfully.

"At first you know, I couldn't figure out exactly how to do it. It took me like three hours to work it out and stuff. But finally, I got it. Like an art project on my face, only cooler." Naruto bragged, clearly proud of his handiwork.

"How very descriptive of you." Boruto rolled his eyes.

"Take it again." Hiruzen bluntly stated.

"Huh? No way!" Naruto nearly fell back in shock as Team Konohamaru snickered at Naruto's childish reaction.

"We can't accept this photo." Hiruzen simply said as Naruto was clearly not having it.

"Yeah? Well I'm not doing it again!" Naruto spat in defiance as the two glared at each other before Naruto conjured a hand-sign.

"Transform!" Naruto yelled before transforming into his Sexy Jutsu. Logically, Hiruzen fell back unconscious with a nosebleed as Naruto tensed, realizing he may have gone a little overboard.

"…I…uh…think I may have overdone it…" Naruto laughed sheepishly as Sarada rolled her eyes.

"You think?" Sarada scoffed.

"I wonder what his Sexy Jutsu would look like if he did it now." Mitsuki curiously pondered, clearly not noticing the bizarre looks his teammates were sending him.

Eventually Hiruzen regained consciousness as he tried to salvage some bit of dignity he may have had left.

"Just what on earth is that nonsense you transform to anyways?" Hiruzen asked, irritation highly present in his tone.

"…T-the Sexy Jutsu…" Naruto laughed, hoping Hiruzen wouldn't be too mad at him.

"That's the Sexy Jutsu, you say? Very tricky. Much too tricky. Don't do it again!" Hiruzen sternly warned as Naruto laughed, thankful he got off easier than he could've gotten off.

"And where is your headband, Naruto? You're supposed to be wearing it." Hiruzen asked.

"You know, I was wondering the same thing." Boruto noted.

"I'm not putting it on until the orientation. I don't want to mess it up." Naruto admitted.

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense." Sarada shrugged as Boruto and Mitsuki nodded in agreement.

"So you want your headband nice but your photo which is supposed to identify you makes you look like a clown. It's for ninja training and missions which is the key to your future. Look at this picture, you can't even tell who it is!" Hiruzen chided Naruto who scoffed, clearly not desiring to have it with Hiruzen.

"Well fine! How am I supposed to know all this complicated stuff anyway?" Naruto argued back, seemingly about to cave into Hiruzen's demand of retaking his ninja registration photo before the door suddenly opened, getting the attention of both Naruto and Hiruzen alike.

"Old Man, I challenge you! I'm going to defeat you and become the Fifth Hokage!" A young boy yelled as he charged at Hiruzen, kunai in hand.

"Who is this?" Mitsuki asked, curiousity aroused.

"And why does he have a Shuriken like he's gonna try to spear Lord Third!?" Sarada yelled in dismay as Boruto's eyes widened.

"It's him!" Boruto pointed at the boy in confusion before he fell on his face as he groaned in pain while writhing around in pain.

Naruto was clearly unimpressed as his facial expression practically said "Who is this shrimp?" while Hiruzen looked just as irritated.

Sarada blinked, looking at the young boy in both curiosity and annoyance.

"….Who is this kid?" Sarada asked as Boruto gasped.

"That's Konohamaru-Sensei!" Boruto noted as both of his teammates looked at him in shock.

"That's him?" Mitsuki raised an eyebrow.

"Really? He looks so different!" Sarada blinked, wondering what made Konohamaru look so different from the young kid here to the man who led their team.

"I…guess puberty hit him in more ways than one." Boruto shrugged as a ninja ran into the room after Konohamaru.

"Are you okay, honorable grandson? And by the way, there's nothing here for you to trip on. It's pretty flat." The ninja tasked with guarding Konohamaru, Ebisu, pointed out.

"This must be the person who was in charge of Konohamaru-Sensei was still young and inexperienced." Mitsuki noted.

Team Konohamaru quickly noticed the look in Ebisu's eyes change as he noticed Naruto.

"Oh, don't tell me, he's one of those Nine Tails hating hypocrites." Boruto groaned.

"I just wonder what led Lord Seventh to becoming so beloved in the village." Sarada asked as the pain left Konohamaru's face before he turned his gaze to Naruto, clearly blaming him for his embarrassing slip up.

"Alright, you're the one who tripped me, aren't you!?" Konohamaru pointed at Naruto as Naruto grunted at him before quickly grabbing the front of his scarf.

"You tripped on your own feet, dork!" Naruto spat as he reeled his fist back, ready to smack Konohamaru whenever he needed to.

"Oh boy, this is not gonna end well." Boruto deadpanned, putting his hands behind his head.

"And Lord Third's not gonna do anything!?" Sarada asked as she noticed how Hiruzen looked more or less disinterested with Konohamaru's current plight.

"He probably figures there's nothing much he could do, given how hotheaded Lord Seventh is or given the fact that Konohamaru-Sensei probably wouldn't accept his help, anyways." Mitsuki noted as Sarada could not believe everyone around her. At least in the memory, anyways.

"Am I the only sane one around?" Sarada face palmed.

"Hey you! Take your hands off of him right now! He's the honorable grandson of the honorable Third Hokage!" Ebisu spat as that seemed to effect Naruto on some level as his grip on Konohamaru's scarf softened, somewhat. Something that Konohamaru noticed.

"What's wrong, huh!? I thought you were gonna hit me, tough guy! Afraid because the Third Hokage is my grandfather!?" Konohamaru smugly gloated as that was the last straw for Naruto.

"I don't care if he's your grandmother so believe it!" Naruto yelled, smacking Konohamaru's skull and knocking him to the ground, clearly not caring if Hiruzen was watching or not, nor did he take notice of the horrified expression on Ebisu's face.

"What'd I tell you!?" Boruto snickered as Mitsuki stared at Konohamaru before looking at Hiruzen and turning back to his future teacher.

"Wait 'I don't care if he's your grandmother'? How would that even work?" Mitsuki asked as Sarada face-palmed.

"Why can't I have sane teammates?" Sarada deadpanned as Naruto huffed.

"You know what, I'm outta here, ya know!" Naruto yelled before making his way out of the Ninja Academy.

"And there he goes." Boruto snorted.

"Let's go after him, obviously!" Sarada spat as her team went after the young future to be ninja as they noticed Naruto looked around town before looking down.

It didn't take a genius to figure out why as the team noticed the villagers glaring hateful daggers at him like they always did. But…they noticed something…different in their looks.

"Is it just me or do the villagers look….colder?" Boruto grimaced.

"Yeah…like before they were filled with hate but now…they just look…ice cold…" Sarada cringed as Mitsuki was able to look at their eyes with the least problem out of his teammates.

"It's because unlike in the previous memories where Lord Seventh was oblivious to the reason why the villagers detested him, in here he's fully aware of why they despise him and since he's fully aware, he has a better understanding of their feelings of animosity and hate to him and as such, with a greater understanding, it's why the villagers' hate becomes even more pronounced than normal." Mitsuki explained as Boruto and Sarada had no words to say to Mitsuki's explanation.

Naruto shook his head as he tried disregarding their usual BS as he had a future to look forward to. After all, his ninja journey would be starting soon!

As Naruto walked through the village, the sound of footsteps got his attention as he looked behind him only to come up with nothing.

As Naruto continued walking, he heard the sound of footsteps again only to see tiny legs cradled under a blanket that resembled a rock with how much it was crumpled up.

"Ten bucks on who that is." Boruto snickered.

"Oh brother…" Sarada face-palmed. Were all boys really this immature and lame?

"I wonder if Lord Seventh knows who it is." Mitsuki chuckled as Naruto stared at the "rock" in confusion before shaking his head and going off on his business as he heard the sound of footsteps again, before finally having enough.

"I know that you're following me so just give it up!" Naruto yelled before realizing he was yelling at a fence. Or rather…a young boy hiding behind a cheaply made tarp resembling a fence.

"….That's so obvious, it's pathetic…" Naruto muttered, his eye twitching in annoyance as the "fence" laughed.

"Okay if someone as dense as dad can figure you out, you know you've done goofed!" Boruto laughed.

"Indeed, he could be fooled with sock puppets." Mitsuki added just as amused.

"Saw through my disguise, huh? The rumors about you are true. You're good." Konohamaru grinned, impressed with Naruto as he threw off his tarp before making his way over to the taller boy.

"Alright, I'll be your apprentice and you'll be my trainer!" Konohamaru declared as he pointed at Naruto who just looked lost.

"Huh?" Naruto titled his head.

"Now that's getting down to business." Mitsuki smiled.

"How about the word 'please'?" Sarada crossed her arms, displeased with the rudeness she heard.

"And afterward, you've got to show how to do that Sexy Jutsu thing you did on Grandpa Hokage!" Konohamaru grinned as Sarada groaned.

"Of course!" Sarada rolled her eyes as Naruto looked just as irritated as her.

"This is some kind of joke, isn't it?" Naruto crossed his arms as he looked to the side, obviously not interesting in training Konohamaru.

"No, I need a new trainer! Please boss?" Konohamaru begged as the look in Naruto's eyes suddenly changed.

"Huh? Boss?" Naruto asked, now clearly interested.

"Yeah, you're the boss! Boss! Boss! Boss!" Konohamaru smiled, hoping that would work and unsurprisingly, it did!

"Well, how can I refuse?" Naruto grinned.

"And that's how Konohamaru-Sensei became Dad's biggest fangirl." Boruto snorted.

"He sure has a way with words like Lord Seventh does." Sarada shook her head, this time in slight amusement before the team followed Naruto and Konohamaru walking through the village.

"Listen, you wanna be a master ninja? Then believe it, you gotta learn to control your Catra." Naruto said as Team Konohamaru looked to each other in confusion.

"…Catra?" All three adolescents asked each other.

"Wait, does he mean chakra?" Boruto snickered as Mitsuki chuckled while Sarada sighed.

"More than likely." Sarada shook her head in disappointment as Konohamaru looked just as confused as his future students did a couple of moments ago.

"Your catra?" Konohamaru tilted his head as he was more than likely imagining a cat.

"I said your catra." Naruto repeated sure of himself as Konohamaru looked even more confused at his newly made leader.

"Boss, I uh, think you're talking about your chakra." Konohamaru said as Naruto tensed, not having liked being put on blast like that.

"Don't question me. Real ninjas say catra." Naruto reaffirmed as Konohamaru looked convinced while Sarada and Boruto rolled their eyes.

"Sure they do." Boruto scoffed.

"Really? I didn't know that. That's cool." Konohamaru grinned as Naruto rubbed his forehead while breathing a sigh of relief, relieved that Konohamaru bought his bluff.

"Listen, I'll explain what chakra is." Naruto said as Konohamaru interrupted Naruto.

"Chakra is the elemental life energy that is used to perform jutsu." Konohamaru began his explanation of the essence of chakra.

"Huh?" Naruto asked as Konohamaru continued.

"The ninja arts combine physical energy from each cell in the body with mystical energy which is intensified from training and experience. When these two chakra mix, special hand signs allow the ninja to focus this combined energy for advanced jutsu." Konohamaru finished schooling Naruto. Or rather, he read the whole thing from a scroll he conveniently pulled out from nowhere much to Team Konohamaru's amusement.

"Shoulda figured he'd been BSing that!" Boruto laughed.

That seemed to really set off Naruto however.

"Know it all! You were just reading that whole thing!" Naruto yelled as Team Konohamaru snickered at Naruto's rage before he calmed down as he finally decided to get ready for his mentoring lessons with his brand new, unexpected protégé.

"Yo, you can blab all you want about how to do ninja techniques. But it really comes down to one thing." Naruto began.

"What is it?" Konohamaru curiously asked.

"Just plain hard work and guts." Naruto stated.

"That's two things." Sarada dryly deadpanned.

"That's two things but okay, I'm with you!" Konohamaru grinned eagerly, ready for his classes with Naruto to start.

"Alright, I'm going to throw some real big challenges at you now. Are you ready?" Naruto asked his student who nodded vigorously.

"I'm ready boss!" Konohamaru pumped his fist as Naruto was satisfied to hear this.

"Good, then let's do it. Show me a transformation." Naruto ordered as Konohamaru looked at Naruto in confusion.

"Huh?" Konohamaru tilted his head.

"Believe it. Show me what you can do and I'll take you to the next level." Naruto said as Konohamaru blinked, understanding what Naruto meant now.

"Oh right sure. But uh, what do I transform into?" Konohamaru asked as Naruto looked around the village before coming across a very attractive women with brown hair wearing a blue kimono who was observing some fruit.

"There. Yeah, right. You can transform into her." Naruto pointed at the woman as Konohamaru nodded feverously, ready to make his teacher proud.

"No problem, here I go, boss. Transform!" Konohamaru said before transforming into the woman. Or rather, he transformed into an obese version of the woman with a unibrow, big puffy cheeks, and some stubble on her chin.

"How do I look?" The transformed Konohamaru asked Naruto who was lost for words as Boruto and Mitsuki were snickering as Sarada face-palmed.

"He's hopeless…" Sarada muttered, wondering just what changed everyone into the people they knew today.

"He's hilarious!" Boruto nearly fell back laughing as he had to use Mitsuki for cover.

"At least he has the clothes down!" Mitsuki laughed as Naruto seemed to be on the same wavelength.

"Uh…the clothes…kinda…look like her…" Naruto muttered though he quickly turned around to see the woman in particular standing behind him with her fists clenched and a murderous look of rage present on her face.

"That looks like me!?" The woman yelled before she quickly whacked out Naruto, sending him to the ground in a bruised frenzy.

"…Harsh…" Boruto muttered, feeling some degree of sympathy for Naruto as the woman huffed before quickly changing her tune as she turned to Konohamaru and gave him a kind smile.

"Now, now, honorable grandson, next time you transform into me, make me a little cuter, okay? Ta!" The woman smiled as she left the two without another word.

"Oh you can tell she just wanted to do that to Konohamaru-Sensei…" Sarada muttered.

"It's probably because he's the son of the Third Hokage that she feels like she has to restrain herself or else she'll get in trouble." Mitsuki said, remembering Konohamaru touting his connection to Hiruzen in front of Naruto, thinking he would care, not realizing he'd get a fist to his skull instead.

"Man…she's scary…." Konohamaru tensed, remembering how she beat up Naruto who moaned as he lied on the ground, battered and broken.

"Ugh…you did it…why am I the one who gets whacked around?" Naruto moaned as Boruto was quiet when he realized Mitsuki was right.

"You're right, Mitsuki…just like the whole mess that went down with me and that train during the Academy initiation….I probably would've been thrown in the slammer if my dad wasn't hokage…." Boruto admitted.

"That just goes to show just how important connections are…." Sarada admitted, thinking of how she was treated because of who her father and mother were.

"Indeed." Mitsuki said as Naruto eventually picked himself up before making his way to the bookstore of the Leaf Village.

"Alright, next we do some research on female beauty." Naruto said as Sarada groaned.

"Oh no." Sarada rolled her eyes remembering what happened the last time they saw Naruto here from all those memories ago.

"Female beauty? Right boss!" Konohamaru said as the two snuck into the store, grateful that the old man who ran the store was soundly asleep as the two went over to the adult section of the two as the two were literally drooling over the exquisite looking woman bent over in provocative poses.

"Oh brother." Sarada face-palmed in disgust before the sound of tapping got the attention of the two perverts.

"This is not a library, Naruto!" The old man who ran the store said, making the two tense up before all Naruto saw was the whack of his store broom before the two were promptly thrown out of the store.

Or rather…Naruto was while Konohamaru was asked to politely leave.

Eventually Naruto took Konohamaru over to where the Leaf Hot Springs were.

"Now this is the last stop so give it everything you've got, okay?" Naruto grinned at Konohamaru.

"Everything…right boss." Konohamaru pumped his fists before the two faced the hot springs.

"Transform!" Naruto and Konohamaru said as they transformed into their Sexy Jutsu transformations as Naruto resembled a female version of himself with pig tails while Konohamaru just resembled a hairy-faced sumo wrestler.

"I see he's still not good at the Sexy Jutsu." Mitsuki noted.

"Why are you so interested in the Sexy Jutsu anyways!?" Sarada asked as the two walked into the hotsprings but Ino and the other current inhabitants of the hot springs were quickly to wail on Naruto while Konohamaru was thankfully spared from their wrath.

"Why…do they only whack me?" Naruto muttered, slightly bitterly as Konohamaru felt some degree of guilt as they stood in the middle of a forest.

"Sorry…" Konohamaru apologized softly.

"Huh?" Naruto asked in confusion.

"It's because I'm the grandson of old Hokage…" Konohamaru looked down bitterly as Boruto looked at his future sensei with eyes of empathy.

"Of course you'd understand…" Sarada looked at her teammate who sighed.

"Yeah…..if it wasn't for who my dad was I probably wouldn't have gotten away with a lot of the stuff I did like vandalizing the Hokage monument all those times along with crashing the train with Denki that time or even gotten away during that whole cheating fiasco before the whole Momoshiki, Urashiki and Kinshiki attack happened…" Boruto admitted as thankfully being the understanding guy he was, Naruto held no ill will to Konohamaru.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I prepared you so now you're ready to do the Sexy Jutsu. Believe it, you're just gonna need to practice." Naruto reassured the young boy with a smile and thumbs up as Team Konohamaru smiled at Naruto.

"Dad was always understanding and empathetic." Boruto smiled, slightly wondering if his team would see the memory of him going back in time and meeting his father as a kid.

Konohamaru felt Naruto's reassurance before smiling back at the older boy.

"Practice. Alright, boss!" Konohamaru grinned as Team Konohamaru could tell he was honestly enjoying hanging out with Naruto.

"Now the trick is to get all the curves in the right places. You ready?" Naruto asked.

"I'm ready boss! Transform!" Konohamaru yelled before transforming into the same version of the woman he transformed into earlier though this time her kimono was replaced by a swim suit.

"What do you think?" Konohamaru asked as Naruto shook his head in disapproval.

"No go! You've gotta make her skinnier!" Naruto reminded Konohamaru.

"Skinnier! Right boss!" Konohamaru said before transforming into an anorexic version of the woman from earlier.

"How's that?" Konohamaru asked.

"Well at least he's got spirit." Mitsuki smiled.

"Can't you boys have more useful jutsu?" Sarada droned as Naruto and Konohamaru continued their practice of the Sexy Jutsu before eventually deciding to take a break after about a half-hour.

Naruto and Konohamaru sipped sodas from a nearby vending machine before Naruto decided to ask a question that was on his mind.

"So what's up with this obsession you've got with your grandfather?" Naruto asked as Konohamaru looked at Naruto in surprise at the sudden question before sullenly looking down.

"My grandfather named me Konohamaru after the ancient name of the village. So it should be easy to remember. But no one calls me that name. Not one person in the whole village. That's because when they look at me, they don't really see me. All they see is the honorable grandsom of the Lord Hokage…No one knows who I am….I can't stand it anymore, it's like I'm not even visible…like I don't even exist…I hate that…that's the reason…." Konohamaru looked down bitterly as Team Konohamaru's eyes went out to the younger version of their future sensei.

"Oh Konohamaru-Sensei…I had no idea….." Sarada frowned before turning to Boruto.

"I know exactly the feeling…..I used to feel the same way….all everyone saw in me was being the Hokage's son….as the son of the Hokage I should be perfect and prestine….but screw that, that's not me. I'm as human as anyone else…I used to think I wouldn't fit in or be accepted…" Boruto looked down, remembering some of the snide, jealous remarks some of the older kids would give him before he looked as he felt his shoulders getting tapped before seeing his teammates giving him kind smiles.

"And you are accepted now. By Sarada and I along with Sumire, Shikadai, Denki, Iwabe and the others in our class." Mitsuki gave Boruto a kind smile which he returned in thanks.

"Thanks guys…both of you." Boruto smiled at his teammates.

Naruto meanwhile kept a blank expression as he listened to Konohamaru vent his heart out.

"I've got to become a Hokage now so people know who I am." Konohamaru stated in absolution as Naruto looked at his now empty soda can, it still being unsure of what he was thinking before he scoffed.

"Get real. You think people are going to accept a squirt like you?" Naruto was practically patronizing Konohamaru as Konohamaru glared at him.

"A kid can't just turn into a Hokage after a day or two." Naruto continued on as this was enough to force Konohamaru on his feet like he was ready to challenge Naruto.

"What!?" Konohamaru challenged as Naruto was unfazed with the younger boy's anger.

"It's not that simple. You keep saying Hokage, Hokage. To really be a Hokage, you know what you'll have to do?" Naruto started, not even looking the other boy's direction.

"What? What is it?" Konohamaru grit his teeth as Naruto chuckled before finally acknowledging the Third's grandson.

"You're gonna have to defeat me in battle!" Naruto toothily smirked at the younger boy who was taken aback at Naruto's words.

"Impressive but given what we've seen of Lord Seventh so far, he's practically nothing but a dog that's all bark and no bite." Mitsuki pointed out though he was impressed with Naruto's words.

"Can't argue that. It's still so crazy seeing just where and how Lord Seventh became and what he came from." Sarada said as Boruto shook his head good naturedly.

"That sounds like dad but…I wonder if he and Konohamaru-Sensei ever really had their battle?" Boruto asked as his teammates were starting to wonder the same thing.

"I guess we'll see if they did in these memories." Sarada shrugged before the sound of feet touching a tree branch got the attention of both those in and out of the memory.

"I found you!" Ebisu said, stunning both Naruto and Konohamaru.

"I was wondering where he was." Boruto muttered in relative disinterest as Ebisu fixed Naruto with a stern hateful glare, very reminiscent of the villagers.

"I hope he kicks his ass." Boruto muttered as Naruto tensed at the iciness of Ebisu's glare as he clenched his fist before Ebisu touched down across from the two.

"So honorable grandson, time to go home." Ebisu said as Konohamaru shook his head in defiance.

"No way! I'm learning how to beat my grandfather so I can get the title, Hokage. Now don't get in my way!" Konohamaru spat, hoping Ebisu would get the memory but as the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it swim. Rather than looking irate at Konohamaru's blatant insubordination, he looked amused.

"A Hokage is more than just a fighter. He must move virtue, honor, wisdom and he must be skilled at a thousand jutsu. You don't even know one jutsu." Ebisu mused before Konohamaru decided to challenge his statement.

"Transform!" Konohamaru yelled before turning into a naked, very attractive slim, curvaceous female with long black hair.

"Hi, there~!" Konohamaru in his perfected Sexy Jutsu winked at Ebisu who looked ready to fall over in a heart attack.

"He actually perfected it!" Sarada yelled, her face and voice full of obvious disgust.

"I'm actually impressed, nicely done Konohamaru-Sensei!" Mitsuki praised.

"Why are you impressed!?" Sarada spat.

"Hey, he's not defeated." Konohamaru said in disappointment as Ebisu's face was red and wide as it was obvious he liked it but was trying to hold onto some shred of decency.

"W-wh-what kind of scandalous technique is that!? Such tasteless vulgarity can never influence me! I am far above it!" Ebisu yelled as that seemed to set Naruto off. Whether it was because of the fact he was one of the villagers who thought of him lowly for having the Nine Tails within him, his obvious hypocrisy at trying to condemn Konohamaru for having such a perverted jutsu even though he obviously liked it, him trying to take a new friend he made and trying to literally force him not to hang out with Naruto anymore or if he was just sick of the sight of Ebisu's mug; Naruto was literally going to take this situation into his own hands.

"Honorable grandson, stop this, right now! Naruto's turning you into a delinquent. Only my special training can put you on the fast track to becoming a Hokage!" Ebisu yelled, literally trying to drag Konohamaru away, using his scarf.

"Hey, ease off him!" Boruto yelled as Konohamaru tried crawling away.

"Just leave me alone!" Konohamaru spat before the voice "SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" rang through the ears of both Konohamaru and Ebisu before they found themselves surrounded by over twenty different Shadow Clones.

Naturally, Konohamaru was impressed as he had never seen so many clones before.

"Whoa! This is…unreal!" Konohamaru was practically fangirling as Ebisu fixed his glasses before scoffing in obvious disinterest.

"Hmph, I'm not impressed. I'm a jonin, an elite ninja warrior. I'm not some lightweight like Mizuki. Now watch…as a real ninja stages an upstart." Ebisu smirked confidently as he walked over to where Naruto was.

"This dude just loves hearing himself talk." Boruto rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"So we're really gonna see Lord Seventh's first real fight? Is…he ready for this?" Sarada asked in slight worry as Mitsuki smiled, having a good idea how this could possibly end.

Naruto's clones all struck a defensive pose as Ebisu scowled at Naruto.

"Ready?" Ebisu smirked as he donned a battle stance.

"Transform!" The real Naruto and his Shadow Clones all changed before they all transformed into the Sexy Jutsu versions of Naruto.

"Shoulda known that Sarada!" Boruto snickered as Sarada's irate expression.

"Shut it!" Sarada spat before all the clones as well as Naruto all glomped on Ebisu as that was too much before the Tokubetsu Jonin was sent flying mad yards away, unconscious with blood streaming down his nose.

"Gotcha! With my harem Jutsu!" Naruto snickered as the look on Konohamaru's face literally said how impressed and awestruck he actually was.

"I wonder what would happen if he did that Sexy Jutsu but with males instead." Mitsuki questioned as he teammates sent him bizarre expressions.

"Huh!? Don't even ask!" Boruto spat.

"Yeah, I have no idea why he even created such an asinine jutsu like that anyways…it's not like he'll end up saving the world with that jutsu anyways…" Sarada muttered to herself.

Naruto and Konohamaru just decided to leave Ebisu were he was, not really caring if he was up or down as the sun started to slowly set towards evening time. Although, despite seeing his former trainer getting made an ass out of himself, this only seemed to damped Konohamaru's mood.

"Oh man! I couldn't even beat that snobby trainer of mine! I wanna be Hokage so bad but I keep messing up. Why can't I do it?" Konohamaru muttered before Naruto bonked Konohamaru's skull, tired of hearing his whining.

"You really think it's that easy?" Naruto asked as Konohamaru rubbed his sore noggin to loom at Naruto.

"To be a Hokage, you have to be the greatest of all ninja. You have to prove yourself so everyone believes in you." Naruto stated in a matter of fact voice before the memory suddenly flashed as Team Konohamaru saw flashes of all the mistreatment Naruto had as a child at the hands of the villagers.

"Look at me. I've been through a lot already. I've been ignored, pushed away and treated like I had the plague or something. And after all that, I found one person who believes in me. To find that one person, I had to get knocked down a lot." Naruto finished as the memory then flashed to Naruto getting Iruka's headband as a graduation present before it returned to present time.

"So you better make sure that you're ready." Naruto stated with his eyes closed.

"For what?" Konohamaru asked, feeling taken aback by Naruto's words as Naruto turned his back on Konohamaru.

"For lots of sweat and tears while you're learning to be a ninja." Naruto stated, his back turned to the young boy as the wind slowly blew through Naruto and Konohamaru's air as if to give the two silence before Naruto turned to Konohamaru with one of his trademarked foxy smiles.

"And by the way, there is no easy way to becoming Hokage, believe it!" Naruto grinned as the look in Konohamaru's eyes changed from being the bratty, spoiled kid that saw from earlier in the memory to someone who was changed…someone looking more the Konohamaru-Sensei they knew.

"And that's how Konohamaru-Sensei was changed." Mitsuki smiled.

"Hmph! Who do you think you are anyway? Giving me a big lecture like that?" Konohamaru turned his back to Naruto with a scowl as Naruto was silent before Konohamaru continued.

"That's it. I'm not going to be your apprentice anymore. From now on, we're rivals!" Konohamaru declared with a smirk as Naruto returned the smirk, eager to one day battle Konohamaru for the title of Hokage. Not only that…but he gained a new friend as well.

"That's like the happiest rival declaration I've ever heard." Boruto snorted.

"Yeah totally." Sarada laughed, remembering her mother's stories about how her and Ino were once rivals for Sasuke's love but thankfully they reconciled before things got too out of hand.

"Well I can't be your trainer anyway because tomorrow I start my advanced ninja studies but I accept your challenge. And someday, we'll fight for the title of Lord Hokage. So let's both look forward to that day, Konohamaru." Naruto smiled as Konohamaru's eyes widened as he looked close to tears. Finally….after so long, he found someone that accepted him not for who his grandfather was but for him being him.

Naruto then left without another word as he departed with a wave looking forward as Konohamaru sent a salute to Naruto's way, though whether Naruto noticed or not was anybody's guess.

And with that, the bluish-purplish foggy mist enveloped Team Konohamaru as the memory faded away.

* * *

And there's the chapter introducing everyone's favorite grandson of the Third!

I must say it's a shame of how wasted Konohamaru has been in Boruto…such a shame…especially with how badass Konohamaru was against Pain.

Oh well….It is what it is. (Sighs in disappointment)

But I'm sure you all are happy that next chapter is when we get into the real knitty gritty of this fic with the beginning of the introduction of everyone's favorite Team and as a result the chapters **WILL** be longer than how the last two chapters have been.

I admit I was originally going to have the Konohamaru stuff in the next chapter when Team 7 is introduced but I decided against it since Konohamaru and Team 7 are so unrelated from each other, it's not even funny. To others that might be against it, I'm sorry and just keep in mind that the chapters going forward **WILL **be longer, believe me! Because if I just cover one manga chapter or cover one anime episode **PER** chapter this story will last forever! XD

But with the chapters getting longer, unfortunately some changes will be coming to this story and these changes are that instead of getting a new chapter every week, this story will be getting updated Biweekly so as to compensate me with school, other fanfics and the like.

Once again, if this is an inconvenience, I'm sorry but it has to be done.

Thank you for reading and understanding, please let me know your thoughts on this chapter and the story as a whole and Chapter 8 will be released February 19th so look forward to it then! ^_^

Until then, stay classy! ^_^

P.S: Anybody notice how Naruto's eyes used to always be closed? XD


	8. Team Seven

I know I've said this countless times already and I will say it again:

Thank you all **SO MUCH** for all the support you have all given this story! Your constant feedback is what gives me the motivation to continue this story, even if I have to push the dates back on chapter updates, your support is what drives me to continue and I hope you all continue to enjoy and support the story all the way until it's completion! Thank you again and let the story begin! ^_^

* * *

"So that's how Konohamaru-Sensei and Lord Seventh met." Sarada smiled as she and her two friends patiently waited for whatever the next memory would be.

"Now I know why my dad and Konohamaru-Sensei are so close. It's not because they both have a similar dream of becoming Hokage but rather it's because they can relate on wanting to be seen more than what the public perception of them are." Boruto noted.

"I can only imagine how Lord Seventh would be had Lord Fourth and Lady Kushina had survived…" Mitsuki pondered as Boruto and Sarada actually looked deep in thought about that.

"Considering Lord Seventh would have still had the Nine Tails inside of him, I can imagine that because of Lord Fourth they would act cordial to Lord Seventh but in reality they would just be walking on eggshells around each other…It's so sad….seeing how he was treated just because he had the Nine Tails within himself….At least the Nine Tails isn't seen as evil anymore." Sarada smiled as her teammates nodded their agreement.

"Totally. Now I wonder what we're gonna see next?" Boruto asked before the bluish-purplish foggy mist suddenly enveloped the three as they found themselves within Naruto's apartment or rather his dirty room.

"Ugh…would it kill Lord Seventh to clean up after himself?" Sarada shook her head in disgust.

"Yeah no kidding." Boruto nodded because if Hinata ever saw Boruto with a room as dirty as this….

The sound of rustling sheets got the team's attention as Naruto suddenly stirred awake as he yawned while stretching his arms. He then got out of his bed while literally walking through Team Konohamaru like they were ghosts.

"Okay that will always be creepy." Sarada recoiled, remembering how she and her team were practically ghosts.

"I dunno, I think it's kind of neat." Mitsuki smiled as Naruto threw off his pajama cap before stopping as he noticed a circled date on the calendar in his room as he blinked before smiling as he realized what day it was. The day where his Ninja Adventure finally began.

"Someone looks excited." Boruto laughed at the excited gleam in Naruto's eyes as he quickly made his way to the kitchen where he had his usual breakfast of cup ramen.

"Today's the day so let's chow down!" Naruto grinned before quickly downing the cup of ramen he set out for himself before drinking the milk carton next to him. Naruto drunk it a little too fast before quickly throwing the carton away.

However, as he did, Sarada's eyes immediately widened as she realized something.

"Uh oh…" Sarada blinked as her teammates turned to her questionably.

"What's wrong?" Boruto asked.

"Uh…that milk is like three weeks past its expiration date." Sarada blinked as her teammates just stared at her before ultimately realizing what the after effects would be.

"…Oh shit…" Boruto face-palmed, wishing he could go in the memory and smack his father for doing something so stupid.

"Literally!" Mitsuki laughed as his teammates could only stare at him not believing he could find such a thing so funny. Then again, this was Mitsuki….

"Moron….you'd think he'd be more aware of the difference between regular and spoiled milk. I mean the taste and especially the smell should be obvious enough…" Sarada muttered as she rubbed her forehead as Boruto's eyes immediately became downcast.

"He may…not know. I mean we saw in those earlier memories how those villagers threw him out of their stores so it may be that the spoiled milk may have been all dad could have been able to get. After all, ramen is essentially dad's comfort food…" Boruto frowned as Sarada looked down, realizing Boruto might indeed be right.

However, they were soon snapped from their solemn thoughts as they noticed Naruto leave the kitchen area before he made his way to his bathroom where he got dressed in his typical orange and blue outfit. Before he put on his regular green goggles as a part of his annual morning routine, he noticed the headband he lay on the right side of his sink. Almost as if this was something he had been prepping for.

Naruto picked up the forehead protecting before smiling as he quickly removed his goggles and replaced them with the Konohagakure headband, identifying him as no longer an Academy student but rather a graduated ninja.

"Today's the day…I finally get to wear this! Hehe, looks perfect!" Naruto snickered with a closed eye before quickly running his way out to where his balcony overlooked the entire ninja village.

"Alright! Starting today, I'm a genin!" Naruto grinned with a salute as Team Konohamaru stared proudly at Naruto with smiles to prove it.

"Today, the legend of Naruto starts!" Boruto grinned, excited to see the upcoming memories.

"I can only imagine what we're gonna see. Something tells me, it's gonna be a very bumpy ride." Sarada mused.

"Bumpy but enriching." Mitsuki chuckled as Naruto decided not to waste any more time and decided to get his butt to the Ninja Academy so he would finally get assigned his team for the future.

As Naruto walked the streets of the Leaf Village, he was so excited he didn't even notice the poorly made fence tarp easily concealing Konohamaru behind it.

"You're mine, Naruto!" Konohamaru yelled as he tried attacking Naruto like he did the day before only to fall flat on his face, finally getting Naruto's attention.

Naruto just looked puzzled by the whole thing.

"Uh…what do you think you're doing, Konohamaru?" Naruto asked in a voice that showed just how lost he truly was.

"That was a slick move. That's why I respect you as a rival." Konohamaru grinned, despite the pain in his face as Naruto looked even more lost.

"Uh….he didn't even do anything, shrimp." Boruto snickered as Sarada rolled her eyes.

"Kids." Sarada sighed, wondering why everyone, except for her dad, so immature back in the day.

"But I didn't do anything." Naruto honestly said as Konohamaru was finally able to pick himself up before making a hand sign.

"Alright, now fight me fair and square!" Konohamaru grinned, ready to go although Naruto had no time for it.

"Sorry, I've got orientation." Naruto sheepishly apologized as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Orientation?" Konohamaru asked in surprise as Naruto smirked proudly.

"That's right. As of today, I'm a ninja. Believe it!" Naruto grinned, proudly smirking to his headband as Konohamaru finally noticed the Leaf insignia across Naruto's forehead.

"Whoa, seriously!?" Konohamaru's eyes widened in shock and awe while Naruto's smirk only widened.

"Hehe, yep! So like I said I can't really play with you today but whenever I have some badass stories to tell you, I'll definitely feel you in!" Naruto promised as he pat Konohamaru's head before going on his way as Konohamaru was still stunned before smiling at Naruto's back.

"Big bro! Do your best!" Konohamaru shouted.

"Yeah!" Naruto waved before giving Konohamaru a thumbs up, not even looking back at Konohamaru.

"Aww…they're like brothers." Sarada mused, wondering how things would be if she had a sibling. Although she accepted the fact that she may never have a sibling.

"Yeah…" Boruto smiled, wondering how things would be if Himawari was actually a boy. That…might actually be worst…..Boruto paled as he remembered the whole stuffed toy incident before quickly shaking those thoughts out of his mind.

Naruto finally reached the Ninja Academy where he looked around for a place to sit before noticing a brooding Sasuke sitting by himself in the corner.

Naruto's eyes softened as Team Konohamaru saw a flash of Naruto wanting to call out to Sasuke but his pride was clearly holding him back.

"Hey Sasu-"Naruto tried holding a hand out before quickly stopping himself as he huffed before finally sitting down, although it was ironically next to Sasuke.

"Geez….I really wish he would stop being so damn prideful and just talk with Dad…." Sarada sighed, not understanding the whole "Macho Manly Pride" that so many boys liked to display. Was it so hard for them to swallow their pride and just talk things out?

"Although whether he knew it subconsciously or not, he still decided to sit right next to him." Mitsuki noted.

"Yeah…it's almost as if they're…connected…" Boruto said as Naruto looked down before decided to smile, realizing what day it was.

"Who cares about him, I'm finally a ninja!" Naruto grinned as he proudly gestured to his ninja headband before a familiar voice got his attention.

"Huh? What're you doing here, Naruto? This isn't for dropouts. You can't be here unless you graduate." Shikamaru asked in confusion as Naruto decided to rub it in the lazy Nara's face.

"Oh yeah? Do you see this? Do you see this? Open your eyes, Shikamaru. It's a regulation headband. We're gonna be training together. How do ya like that?" Naruto proudly bragged as Shikamaru merely huffed while Team Konohamaru chuckled at Shikamaru's lost expression and subsequent reaction.

"And he doesn't even know that he'll be Lord Seventh's advisor." Mitsuki chuckled.

"Dad totally has Uncle Shikamaru wrapped around his thumb." Boruto snorted.

"Lemme put it to you this way, I look great in this headgear, like it was made for me!" Naruto grinned proudly grabbing his headband as Boruto noticed Hinata shooting a look full of adoration.

"And he doesn't even notice mom…" Boruto sighed.

"Yeah, it's almost surreal to believe they end up getting married later. I wonder what changed…." Sarada tilted her head as Mitsuki decided to add his two cents in.

"She probably had to die to get noticed by him." Mitsuki bluntly stated as his teammates sent him bewildered looks.

"Seriously! Why do you have to be so freaking morbid!?" Boruto asked in irritation as Shikamaru eventually left before the sound of footsteps equivalent to that of stampeding bulls got the attention of nearly everyone in the room.

Team Konohamaru turned to see the source was a very sweaty and exhausted Sakura and Ino, both of whom were clearly in some sort of race.

"I won again, Sakura." Ino jeered at Sakura who would hear none of it.

"Give it up, I had to look back to see you. My toe was at least a tenth of an inch ahead!" Sakura smirked back.

"Talk about chill dude…geez…" Boruto muttered as Sarada looked like she wanted to crawl into a hole.

"Oh mom….how embarrassing…" Sarada face palmed, clearly petrified.

Naruto then noticed how Sakura was looking at him or rather in his direction.

"Sakura….she's smiling at me…I think she likes me in this headband…" Naruto smiled like a dork with a huge blush on his face as Boruto and Sarada face palmed while Mitsuki chuckled.

"Uh yeah no." Boruto sighed.

"Yeah, she's ninety nine point nine percent looking at the boy directly next to you." Sarada deadpanned as Sakura quickly ran to where Naruto and Sasuke were.

"Hi, Sakura. What's up?" Naruto eagerly waved to the pinkette who obviously took no notice of him.

"Move it!" Sakura immediately shoved Naruto out of the way, sending him crashing into the floor below.

"Harsh." Boruto winced.

"How embarrassing…" Sarada covered her face as she started to slowly turn red.

"Good morning, Sasuke. Mind if I sit next to you?" Sakura smiled as Sasuke turned to her although his face showed he was clearly uninterested in Sakura's offer.

"Back off, Forehead. I'm sitting next to Sasuke!" Ino grabbed Sakura's arm as she gave Sakura a death glare who scoffed.

"I was here first!" Sakura immediately wrenched herself from Ino's tight grip.

"I walked into the classroom before you did! Everybody saw it!" Ino argued.

"Dream on!" Sakura scoffed as soon several girls soon joined in their argument on who was going to sit next to Sasuke.

Sasuke merely turned his head to the side in annoyance as he wished all those girls would disappear. He wouldn't voice it out loud but he would rather take his chances with Naruto.

"This is so embarrassing…" Sarada turned beet red, embarrassed of her mother's fangirl stage.

"I feel so bad for Uncle Sasuke…" Boruto cringed, thankful he never had to encounter fangirls despite his status as the son of Naruto Uzumaki.

"I can relate to him." Mitsuki said although he was smiling, clearly amused by what he was watching.

"Ugh!" Naruto grit his teeth as he was honestly sick of the whole Sasuke worshipping he got. What the heck was so great about this guy anyways?

Before anyone knew it, Naruto was immediately on the desk immediately in front of Sasuke as both boys sent glares of utter disdain towards each other.

"Oh boy…." Boruto muttered.

"This is not going to end well." Sarada pointed out as the entire Uchiha fangirl brigade were not happy at how close Naruto was to Sasuke. Whether it was because of how he was disrespecting their crush or rather that he was way closer to Sasuke, thus indirectly taking their dream of being next to Sasuke, was unknown. But either way, they weren't standing for this.

"Naruto! Hey, stop glaring at Sasuke!" Sakura barked as Naruto sweated, literally feeling the killing intent rolling off of the Sasuke fangirls.

"Sakura…." Naruto muttered before turning to Sasuke in defiance, regardless of what the girls were yelling at him.

"Geez…why are they so obsessed with him? 'Sasuke. Sasuke.' What's the deal with this guy?" Naruto asked as their faces were mere centimeters from each other as lighting sparkled between their eyes.

"Get lost." Sasuke growled.

"Hmph!" Naruto spat before he was suddenly pushed forward by a student clearly not paying attention where he was swinging his arm when he was laughing.

"Oh sorry, did I bump you?" The student asked as everyone both in and out of the memory were silent as an image soon arrived that would forever stay in the minds of those watching…

Naruto and Sasuke's lips were on each other!

"What the hell!?" Boruto and Sarada yelled clearly in dismay of what they were watching before they turned to each other, remembering the time they nearly kissed. Thankfully, history was kind enough not to repeat itself as Sarada was quick to keep her foot in the way from tasting Boruto's lips.

"This doesn't really surprise me. In a way, they're like soulmates." Mitsuki laughed.

"What is wrong with you!?" Boruto and Sarada yelled.

"…So…dad's first kiss…" Sarada felt like she was going to faint as she tried to hold onto something, not believing her eyes.

"…Was dad!" Boruto and Sarada simultaneously yelled highly disturbed as Mitsuki still kept his laugh.

"I wonder what Lord Seventh would taste like." Mitsuki furrowed his brows as both Sarada and Boruto wanted to get into Mitsuki's mind to see what his problem was.

"Seriously!? What are you on!?" Sarada yelled as Naruto and Sasuke quickly pulled away as they gagged, clearly not enjoying the experience.

"I'll get you Naruto…." Sasuke tried spitting the taste of Naruto's lips from both his mouth and mind.

Naruto barely had time to gag before quickly feeling an ominous air in the room.

"Naruto…you are so dead…" Sakura growled as a demonic aura summoned around all the girls.

"Welp, you were right in this ending badly, Sarada." Boruto muttered as Sarada nodded.

"Hey! Whoa! It was an accident!" Naruto tried saving his tail as they were clearly hearing none of it as they all cracked their knuckles.

"You're finished!" Sakura yelled as Naruto looked ready to soil himself.

"Hold on…" Naruto tensed as he sweat like a dog in the desert before they all rounded on the poor goofball.

The result was Naruto lying in a bruised, bloodied heap.

"….I almost feel bad for him…" Boruto tensed as Sarada gulped.

"….Mom…was even scarier back then." Sarada tensed, knowing for certain now definitely not to get on her mother's bad side.

"I still I know for certain why Lord Seventh and Mister Sasuke are so close." Mitsuki smiled as his teammates cut their eyes at the son of Orochimaru.

"Seriously, it's not that month of the year yet." Boruto muttered as it was then when Iruka walked into the classroom before he noticed the battered form of his favorite student. Iruka sent Naruto a sympathetic glance before deciding to speak to everyone in the class.

"As of today, you are all ninjas. To get here, you faced difficult trials and hardships. But that's nothing. What comes next will be far more difficult. Now you're only genin, first level ninjas." Iruka began his speech to the class.

"He sounds like a proud dad." Boruto mused.

"Well can you blame them? He had been with them for nearly five years so obviously this day would be sentimental for him." Sarada stated in a matter of fact voice as Iruka continued his sermon.

"All the genin will be grouped into three man squads. Each squad will be led by a jonin, an elite ninja." Iruka stated, getting the attention of everyone in the room as everyone had their own thoughts on who they wanted to be paired with or in certain people's cases, not to be paired with.

"Pfft, groups of three. That'll only slow me down." Sasuke scoffed at the pure notion of being paired with anyone.

"Man….I don't think I'll ever get used to this edgy-overlord persona of Uncle Sasuke…" Boruto muttered.

"Yeah…I wonder what changed?" Sarada asked.

"I wanna be with Sakura and well….I don't care as long as it's not Sasuke." Naruto said softly as Team Konohamaru snorted at Naruto's wish.

"Yep, we'll see how that lasts." Mitsuki chuckled.

"We want each squad to have a balance of strengths and abilities so that's how we set them up. I will now announce the squads. Iruka stated as he then began reading down the teams starting from Team One all the way to Team Seven.

"And now Squad Seven. Naruto Uzumaki." Iruka began getting the attention of Naruto who looked closed to dozing off.

"Sakura Haruno." Iruka added as Sakura paled as she looked depressed as Naruto was all too eager to have the love of his life on his team.

"Yeah!" Naruto cheered as Sakura groaned.

"I'm doomed…." Sakura gloomed as Team Konohamaru snickered at the two.

"And the person you're doomed with is who will end up as your best friend." Sarada chuckled as Boruto shook his head in amusement, remembering how the two were in his voyage to the past.

"And Sasuke Uchiha." Iruka finished as it was Naruto's turn to pale and look depressed.

"Yeah!" Sakura cheered as Naruto groaned.

"I'm doomed…." Naruto groaned as Team Konohamaru laughed again.

"The start of a beautiful friendship." Boruto laughed, thinking of how close Naruto and Sasuke would get in the future.

"Too bad it couldn't evolve into something more." Mitsuki smiled, getting bewildered looks from his two teammates.

"Are you talking about the kiss? It was clearly not romantic in nature!" Sarada argued as Mitsuki winked.

"I dunno…those two have a very unique relationship…in more ways than one it seems…" Mitsuki chuckled as Boruto sighed.

"You really are something, dude." Boruto deadpanned as the team were quick to note how Sasuke's face didn't betray any emotion. It was obvious he couldn't care if he was paired with three people or a thousand. They were all equally worthless to him.

"At least dad's being a team player." Sarada noted as Boruto noticed his mother's saddened expression as it was clear she was disappointed that she wasn't paired with Naruto.

"Poor mom….I wonder what would've happened if she was paired with dad?" Boruto asked.

"He probably would've noticed her sooner." Sarada said as Boruto couldn't argue with that.

"Yeah you're right." Boruto agreed as the news of his teammates or rather teammate didn't sit well with Naruto.

"Iruka-Sensei, why does a great ninja like me have to be in the same group with a slug like Sasuke!?" Naruto demanded as Sakura looked ready to pounce on Naruto again while Sasuke just looked irritated by any and everything present.

"Slug, huh?" Boruto snorted.

"Yeah. Sorry Lord-Seventh but you're not all that impressive yet." Sarada added, still not quite believing such an arrogant, loud-mouthed brat was the Lord Seventh she admired and aspired to be like while Iruka glared at Naruto for his rude outburst.

"Sasuke had the best scores of all the graduating students. Naruto, you had the worst scores. To create a balanced group, we put the best student with the worst student." Iruka stated bluntly as the majority of the class laughed as they found this funny save for Hinata for obvious reasons, Sakura who obviously didn't care as long as she was with her Sasuke, Shikamaru who couldn't care less since he was so lazy and Sasuke who just wished he could be left alone.

"Just make sure you don't get in my way, loser." Sasuke scoffed, not even considering Naruto worth his time which Naruto easily caught.

"Hey what did you say!?" Naruto spat as Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Hard of hearing?" Sasuke scoffed making a majority of the class break out into giggles as Iruka quickly got the class to quiet down before the rest of the teams were assigned before they all broke apart for lunch while being assigned to come back as soon as lunch was over.

Team Konohamaru followed as everyone went their separate ways as Sakura walked around the outside of the Academy as it was obvious who she was looking for.

"Sasuke, where are you?" Sakura asked before looking down with a frown.

"Since we're in the same group and all, I was hoping we could have lunch together and get to know each other…" Sakura frowned sadly.

"Oh mom…." Sarada sighed, feeling bad for her mother as Naruto quickly made his way up to Sakura as it was obvious he wanted Sakura's wishes but with him instead.

"Hey, Sakura! Since we're in the same group and all, I was thinking we could have lunch together and get to know each other!" Naruto offered as Sakura coldly scoffed, thinking Naruto was ridiculous for suggesting something so asinine.

"Why would I eat lunch with you? How could that thought even cross your mind?" Sakura harshly spat as Naruto looked slightly hurt by her obvious rejection though he decided to press further.

"Well I was just thinking…." Naruto tried suggesting as Sakura decided to nip his offer in the bud.

"Naruto, you're annoying." Sakura cruelly said as Team Konohamaru were left speechless at Sakura's harsh rejection.

"Okay that was just cold! What is wrong with her!? How could she be so harsh when all he wanted to do was get to know her!?" Boruto angrily glared at Sakura's retreating back as Sarada glared at Boruto.

"Hey, don't talk about my mom like that! Yeah she was really rude to Lord Seventh but it's obvious she was just a young girl in love!" Sarada spat as Boruto grunted as he looked to the side while Mitsuki decided to add in his two cents.

"And not to mention, she may have been conditioned by her parents to not be that friendly with Lord Seventh and his reputation as the Academy's class clown is not helping Lord Seventh's case." Mitsuki added as Boruto sighed.

Naruto was obviously hurt by Sakura's rejection before he went up to a random building in the village as he thought over Sakura's words.

"Ugh…what a pain…I get into the same group as Sakura and he's gotta be in it too….There's got to be a way to deal with this…." Naruto muttered before his eyes darted over to where he caught wind of Sasuke eating a rice ball in a nearby window as Naruto's eyes gleamed.

"Got it!" Naruto grinned with a look of mischief, unnerving Sarada.

"Oh no…what is he thinking?" Sarada groaned.

"Obviously nothing good." Boruto dryly replied as he quickly eased to where he was behind Sasuke in the window before tackling him in the compound he was in as a brief scuffle ensued.

"Naruto!?" Sasuke asked, obviously taken aback as Naruto tried getting a good hold on him.

"Pipe down!" Naruto yelled as he tried restraining the Uchiha with rope and tape and with a "fight" that didn't last for even thirty minutes, Naruto ended up with tape across his mouth as he was tied like a fool.

"Hmph. Nice try." Sasuke scoffed as Boruto and Sarada face-palmed in embarrassment for their father and idol alike.

"What an idiot!" Boruto groaned.

"Well who didn't see this com-"Sarada was about to face-palm before the "Naruto" poofed away, revealing a lone log.

"A substitution jutsu?" Mitsuki asked as Sasuke was taken aback before barely having time to react before finding himself being swarmed by the real Naruto with five clones by his side.

"I've got it!" Naruto and his clones yelled before Sasuke soon found himself tied with duct tape around his mouth.

"You…." Sasuke grunted out as Naruto grinned.

"Now who's the dead last and who's the cool one?" Naruto snickered before Naruto suddenly transformed into Sasuke, surprising everyone present.

"Wait, why is he transforming into Uncle Sasuke?" Boruto tilted his head in confusion as Sarada groaned while face-palming.

"I have a pretty good idea why…" Sarada deadpanned as Mitsuki nodded.

"Yeah, he must be trying to get close with Miss Sakura." Mitsuki said as Sarada shook her head.

"While she was rude and tactless to him, transforming into dad is just as cruel as that's in essence playing with her feelings." Sarada said as Boruto couldn't disagree with his friend.

"Yeah…like as things were at the moment, she probably would just walk away and leave if dad appeared right in front of her as he was but this is a dick move on dad's part." Boruto agreed as "Sasuke" left the window before sneaking through the village before looking for Sakura all the while trying not to blow his cover.

"Okay….gotta get my moves down and walk cool like the bastard." Naruto said as he "tried walking" like Sasuke only to look silly as Mitsuki chuckled while Boruto and Sarada sighed.

"You can't walk like Uncle Sasuke, you dumbass." Boruto deadpanned.

"At least it's entertaining to watch." Mitsuki chuckled as the transformed Naruto eventually found where Sakrua was, looking down at the ground.

"Found her! Okay…." Naruto said to himself before easing his way to the tree across from her before deciding to call out to her.

"Sakura…your forehead is so wide and charming…." "Sasuke" said as he walked to Sakura, making her look at him in surprise as Sasuke had obviously never directly sought out Sakura before.

"It makes me feel like kissing it." "Sasuke" finished with a smile that only a knight from a romance fairy tale story would bestow upon a princess.

"Now that's just cheesy. There's no way dad would say that to mom." Sarada snorted as Boruto and Mitsuki weren't far off from disagreeing with her.

"Totally. This ain't a shoujo anime!" Boruto snickered as Sakura's face spoke her emotions as she looked as if Sasuke had bestowed to her a rose while asking to accept him as her lover.

"Just kidding. That's the kind of dumb thing that Naruo would say." "Sasuke" smiled as Sakura deadpanned while Boruto and Mitsuki chuckled.

"How doesn't she see that's obviously not Uncle Sasuke?" Boruto asked.

"When a girl's in love, she's in love." Mitsuki mused as Sarada glared at her teammates. She obviously wasn't liking the way Naruto was playing with Sakura's feelings.

"Sasuke" then sat down right next to Sakura before he decided to speak.

"I wanna ask you something. Naruto, what do you think about him?" "Sasuke" asked as Sakura looked at the boy in surprise before looking to the side.

"He knows about my feelings and he purposely tries to get in the way. He enjoys interfering and making me feel bad. Naruto…he doesn't understand one single thing about me. He's just annoying!" Sakura coldly finished as "Sasuke" tensed, obviously hurt by Sakura's words.

"In a way….she's not wrong. By posing as Sasuke, he is in essence getting in the way and while he's not enjoying or desiring to make her feel bad, he's still getting in the way of what Miss Sakura would want in favor of what he wants." Mitsuki stated a bit too honestly for Boruto's tastes as he sighed in admittance.

"Yeah….doing this…he's just playing with her and it would have been better if he just directly approached her herself. Now she thinks that the real Uncle Sasuke complimented her forehead." Boruto added as Sarada put her hand to her chin in thought.

"I wonder…if that's why mom is so in love with dad?" Sarada asked as her teammates turned to her in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Boruto asked as Sarada continued her assumption.

"Mom told me how when she was little that she was bullied for her forehead before she met Aunt Ino who helped build her confidence. And to hear her crush compliment her biggest insecurity would obviously mean a lot to her…." Sarada finished as her teammates stood in silence at her words.

"…Wow….dad…you really messed up…" Boruto sighed with a face palm as he in essence may have killed any chance with getting with Sakura with this simple gesture.

While meant to be simple, it was still selfish and cruel of Naruto to do so.

Sakura then shook her head before turning to "Sasuke" with a smile.

"All I really want…it for you to accept me Sasuke. That's all." Sakura softly smiled as "Sasuke" looked lost for words.

"…You just want me to accept you?" "Sasuke" asked as Naruto was lost for words of just how much Sasuke's opinion really mattered to Sakura.

"Yes, that's how I feel. I'd do anything for that…." Sakura blushed as she leaned in for a kiss as Team Konohamaru were honestly…disturbed at what they were seeing.

"…Talk about desperate…" Boruto bluntly stated.

"Boruto!" Sarada chided the blond although she was disturbed at how easy Sakura was willing to kiss Sasuke and what really bothered her along with Boruto was how Naruto was willing to go along with it!

"Geez…where are dad's morals?" Boruto asked as if he kissed her like this, he'd be no better than her when she cruelly rejected him.

However…just when their lips were inches apart…..

"Sasuke" clenched his stomach as a loud painful gurgle was heard.

"…And I think that's the milk from this morning." Mitsuki chuckled as "Sasuke's" eye twitched in irritation, upset at how his first kiss was robbed from him.

Well, his first kiss from a girl anyways.

"If that's not karma, I don't know what is." Boruto deadpanned as Sasuke quickly ran off.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Sakura asked, tilting her head in confusion as "Sasuke" waved his arm while grinning despite the pain he was in.

"I-I'll be right back!" "Sasuke" promised as Sakura blushed, obviously thinking that Sasuke was shy and needed to freshen up and make himself presentable.

Naruto then continued running before luckily finding an available bathroom in the Ninja Academy.

"…Yeah…I'm not going there." Boruto bluntly stated.

"Same here." Sarada agreed as Mitsuki also nodded in agreement.

"Ugh….close….really close…..My stomach was so upset that I almost lost control of the jutsu….Why did it have to happen right then….just when she was about too….Ugh!" Naruto groaned as Team Konohamaru heard him behind the door separating the four.

"I can't say he didn't deserve that." Boruto said as Sarada nodded.

"Right. Because as uncouth as how mom has been to Lord Seventh, that still didn't give him the right to play with her feelings the way that he did. That made him no better than she was." Sarada stated as Mitsuki nodded.

"She thinks that I'm annoying? She said that three times…I transform into Sasuke, get close to Sakura and she has to say that?" The group heard Naruto say through the door before they heard him mischievously snicker.

"Hey, I know what I should do! I'll make Sasuke act totally obnoxious, believe it. Then, she'll hate him even more than me!" Naruto's voice said as Boruto and Sarada groaned in frustration.

"Seriously!? Didn't he learn from the first time he tried that!?" Sarada yelled as the door opened as Naruto was finished with his business before the bathroom door opened.

"I've gotta hurry. I hope Sakura's still waiting for me!" Naruto hastily ran before he noticed Sasuke walking down the Academy hallway, much to Naruto's dread.

"A wild Sasuke appeared!" Boruto joked as Sarada sighed in relief.

"Hopefully he can stop Lord Seventh and his foolery." Sarada shook her head before Naruto quickly came to a halt in front of Sasuke, showing their height difference as Sasuke looked down on Naruto.

"Sasuke, what are you doing here!?" Naruto asked as Sasuke was the last person he wanted to see right now as Sasuke smirked at Naruto's expression that was the equivalent of a child about to wet himself.

"I used the escape jutsu. No sweat, it's a very basic technique." Sasuke snorted as Naruto was definitely feeling uncomfortable as Sasuke's expression suddenly turned serious.

"Why'd you do that? Transform into me?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed as Naruto would be damned as to reveal his actual reasons why.

"I wanted to see if I could so I did!" Naruto yelled as he jumped in the air before summoning four clones by his side.

"Ugh! The same technique again!?" Sasuke asked as he couldn't believe just how much of a one trick pony Naruto was showing himself to be.

"This ain't gonna end well." Boruto deadpanned.

"That's right! Get ready, Sasuke!" Naruto yelled, preparing the lay the smack down on Sasuke before the familiar sound of his stomach gurgling in pain was heard as Naruto and the clones grimaced.

"What'd I tell you?" Boruto sighed as the clones fell to the ground, clutching their stomachs as they ran to the bathroom, trying to push each other out of the way as Sasuke could only stare in a combination of annoyance and dismay.

"Okay, this is too funny!" Mitsuki laughed as Boruto and Sarada both had second hand embarrassment.

"What a moron." Boruto and Sarada muttered in unison as Sasuke had the same notion as he turned around with a scoff.

"What a loser." Sasuke shook his head before leaving, definitely having enough of Naruto and his BS.

Eventually after cleaning himself clean, Naruto slowly made his way to where Sakura was, hoping she was still waiting and much to his relief and the team's surprise she was. But…she had a sullen look on her features as she looked down.

"Mom? What's wrong with her?" Sarada asked.

"It looks like she's reflecting on something…" Boruto observed as Sakura immediately took a notice to Naruto before getting up and actually waving to Naruto.

"Naruto! Let's walk back to class together!" Sakura smiled to Naruto. Or rather, forcibly smiled at him.

"S-Sakura?" Naruto asked.

"That's a change. I guess we see how they became friends." Mitsuki said.

"Yeah…she's definitely faking that smile." Boruto snorted.

"Well, at least it's a start." Sarada shrugged as the look on Naruto's face told the team that he definitely didn't believe that Sakura would be nice to him.

"Wait, I get it! Sasuke must have transformed into Sakura to get back at me!" Naruto said as Boruto and Sarada face palmed while Mitsuki chuckled.

"Dumbass!" Boruto groaned as Naruto readied himself for a battle.

"Trying to trick me, huh wise guy? Well forget it!" Naruto yelled, ready to hand Sasuke or who he thought was Sasuke his ass.

"Oh no don't tell me, he's gonna try to attack her! That's my mom you idiot!" Sarada yelled as Boruto snorted.

"You think that moron would listen." Boruto rolled his eyes.

"Please, something stop him!" Sarada pleaded to some god who may have been listening before….a familiar gurgle was heard as Naruto clenched his stomach in pain.

"Welp, looks like you got your answer!" Boruto snickered as Sarada felt like she needed an aspirin.

"Why is this happening again!?" Naruto yelled before quickly running to the bathroom as Sakura looked puzzled before anger clouded her judgement as she obviously was taking back whatever oath she may have made to treat Naruto decently.

"Dumb Naruto!" Sakura growled, wanting to just wail of the knucklehead.

"And that went well." Sarada rolled her eyes in annoyance as Boruto stopped his snickering.

"At least we got a good show from it." Boruto snickered as Mitsuki smiled.

"We only get entertainment like this from an anime." Mitsuki grinned as his teammates stared at him in bewilderment.

"What are you talking about?" Boruto asked as Sarada put a hand on his shoulder.

"At this point, let's just go along with it." Sarada sighed as Boruto grunted in agreement.

As the team followed to where Naruto was, they could hear his voice behind the bathroom.

"AM I GONNA SPEND MY WHOLE LIFE ON THE POT!?" The voice of Naruto yelled, clearly in pain as that was enough for Boruto and Mitsuki as they were practically on the ground laughing as Sarada cut her eyes at them in disgust.

"Oh brother…" Sarada groaned.

"What the hell!? Dad was such a moron back then!" Boruto was wiping tears from his eyes as Mitsuki was more controlled in his laughter.

"I must say this has been the most entertaining memory that we've seen in a while." Mitsuki mused as Boruto was quick to agree.

"Totally." Boruto snickered as it was clear Sarada was the odd man out of her teammates.

"Oh brother." Sarada rolled her eyes as once Naruto was down with his business he reunited with his teammates where they watched as every other team had left with their respective teams as even Iruka had left, leaving only Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura. While Sasuke and Sakura were obviously irritated with the lateness of their teacher, Naruto had those feelings and took them into overdrive.

"Talk about punctuality." Boruto snorted.

"Yeah, where is Kakashi-Sensei anyways?" Sarada asked in confusion.

"I wonder if we'll ever know why he's such a late ass." Boruto muttered as Mitsuki and even Sarada agreed who would have normally chided Boruto for using rude language.

"Naruto! Just sit down!" Sakura said to her teammate in annoyance as she was getting agitated watching Naruto wait at the door like a vulture.

"I don't want to! How come our teacher's the only one that's late? I'm ready to roll, believe it! The other groups already met their new teachers and took off on some adventure or something and Iruka-Sensei's gone too!" Naruto added as Sasuke couldn't disagree with Naruto as Sakura sighed in irritation.

"We know okay?" Sakura muttered before noticing Naruto putting the eraser from Iruka's board under the door sill so that it would hit their sensei over the head whenever he arrived.

"Oh boy. Does he honestly think that's work?" Sarada rolled her eyes.

"I bet it would." Boruto muttered as Sakura walked to her teammate, appalled that he'd do something so mischievous.

"Naruto!" Sakura chided her teammate who was unfazed with her annoyance.

"That's what he gets for coming late. Surprise!" Naruto smirked proudly at his handiwork as Sakura scowled at Naruto while Sasuke was just disinterested in any and everything around him.

"You're asking for trouble. You know you shouldn't do that!" Sakura glared at Naruto as Sasuke turned his head away.

"Hmph, our teacher's a jonin, an elite ninja. You think he'd fall for that?" Sasuke rolled his eyes as Naruto paid his new teammates no mind before the door opened revealing the younger Kakashi that Team Konohamaru had seen several memories ago before it actually fell on his head, leaving an eraser mark on his head as the room were dead silent.

"Hahaha! I got him! He totally fell for it!" Naruto nearly fell on his butt laughing as Team Konohamaru couldn't believe their eyes.

"You mean to tell me that stupid prank actually worked!?" Sarada exclaimed, feeling a migraine coming.

"…..Yeah Old Man Kakashi was definitely trolling him." Boruto dryly muttered.

"Besides, don't sell someone like Kakashi Hatake short." Mitsuki added as Sarada could only shake her head in disappointment.

"I'm sorry, sensei! I told him not to do it, but he wouldn't listen. I'd never do anything like that!" Sakura frantically apologized as it was obvious she was trying to save her own ass.

"Kissass." Boruto rolled his eyes as Sarada was quick to smack his skull.

"Boruto!" Sarada growled.

"I mean he's not wrong." Mitsuki shrugged as Sarada couldn't believe how outnumbered she actually was as Sasuke merely blinked not even bothering to voice his disappointment and astonishment with what Kakashi has displayed or rather, the lack thereof.

Kakashi slowly picked up the eraser before scanning his eyes over all three ninja before putting his hand to his chin in thought.

"Probably trying to come up with his first impressions of everyone." Boruto snorted which Kakashi actually verbalizing Boruto's words.

"Hmm….How can I put this? My first impression of this group?" Kakashi asked as the team looked expectantly at their sensei, or rather Naruto and Sakura did.

"You're a bunch of idiots." Kakashi bluntly stated as all three children deadpanned.

"He's not wrong." Mitsuki chuckled.

"Nope." Boruto snorted at the look of disappointment of not only Naruto but Sasuke's faces too.

"Yep." Sarada sighed as once they gathered themselves, the children and Kakashi made their ways upwards to the rooftop of the Ninja Academy where the children got themselves comfortable while Kakashi sat across from them.

"Alright. Why don't you introduce yourselves one at a time?" Kakashi started as the children stared at him in surprise.

"Introduce ourselves? Well, what're we supposed to say?" Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Things you like. Things you hate. Dreams for the future. Hobbies. Things like that." Kakashi clarified.

"Oh I see. A nice ice-breaker activity." Boruto smiled.

"That would be good considering how much time they're going to end up spending with each other." Mitsuki agreed.

"Why don't you tell us stuff first? I mean, before we talk, tell us about you so we can see how it's supposed to work." Naruto said as Kakashi decided to take up Naruto's offer.

"Me? I'm Kakashi Hatake. Things I like and things I hate….I don't feel like telling you that." Kakashi shrugged as the kids stared at their teacher bewildered.

"My dreams for the future….never really thought about it. As for my hobbies…I have lots of hobbies." Kakashi finished in a laidback tone as Naruto, Sakura, Boruto and Sarada all deadpanned.

"Well that was useful." Boruto whispered to the Uchiha on his team.

"As useful as ember coils to put out a fire." Sarada sighed.

"That was totally useless, all he really told us was his name." Sakura muttered in irritation as Naruto nodded in agreement.

"Okay, your turn. You on the fight, you first." Kakashi looked towards Naruto who looked happy to talk about himself.

"Believe it! I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I like instant ramen in a cup and I really like the ramen Iruka-Sensei gets for me at the Ichiraku noodle shop. But I hate the three minutes you have to wait after you pour the water in the ramen cup. My hobby is eating different kinds of ramen and comparing them." Naruto explained as those within the memory looked very uninterested with Naruto's love for ramen.

"Okay, all we're 'learning' is how much of a fanboy dad is over ramen." Boruto yawned as Sarada grunted in agreement.

"And my future dream is to be the greatest Hokage! Then the whole village will stop disrespecting me and start treating me like I'm somebody, somebody important!" Naruto smirked as he touched his headband for emphasis as Team Konohamaru smiled at the orange clad ninja.

"And luckily for him, that dream actually comes true." Boruto smiled.

Kakashi's eyes softened as he was thinking, almost reflecting on something important.

"You know something I've been wondering? If Kakashi-Sensei's master was the Fourth Hokage, why didn't he look after Lord Seventh? You'd think he would if they were close…." Sarada put her hand to her chin in thought as Boruto was just as confused when he thought about her words.

"You know, you do have a point…." Boruto looked down.

"No use dwelling on it now." Mitsuki pointed out as Kakashi turned his eye to Sakura.

"Alright, next." Kakashi said as Sakura slightly blushed as everyone's attention was turned to her, or rather Naruto and Kakashi's while Sasuke looked as indifferent as always.

"I'm Sakura Haruno. What I like…uh..I mean the person I like is…." Sakura turned to Sasuke lovingly who looked as uninterested in her as ever.

"Uh…my hobby is uh….My dream for the future is…." Sakura squealed as Boruto, Naruto and even Kakashi cringed at Sakura's fangirlism.

"Talk about a fangirl." Boruto rolled his eyes as Sarada was quick to smack Boruto's skull yet again.

"Quit being so tactless!" Sarada spat as Boruto glared at his teammate as she rolled her eyes.

"And? What do you hate?" Kakashi asked, suddenly wishing to get this over with, at least with Sakura.

"NARUTO!" Sakura spat as Naruto looked close to tears while Sasuke continued brooding in his spot.

"Harsh….How did they become friends again?" Boruto asked as Sarada and even Mitsuki were wondering the same thing.

"Last one." Kakashi said as Sakura giggled in Sasuke's direction though he ignored her completely.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate a lot of things and I don't particularly like anything." Sasuke said as everyone, even Naruto, was unnerved by his words.

"…Talk about a bad boy…." Boruto muttered.

"Not even mom?" Sarada asked in disappointment.

"It shouldn't be that much of a surprise." Mitsuki pointed out as Sasuke continued.

"What I have is not a dream because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan and destroy a certain someone." Sasuke finished as those in and out of the memory were left unnerved at Sasuke's words, everyone save for Mitsuki and Kakashi.

"When I went to the past….I heard that he wanted to get strong to avenge his clan…..did you know?" Boruto asked Sarada hoping he didn't reveal too much to Sarada, remembering how fragile the relationship between her and Sasuke was.

"…I know…the Uchiha clan was wiped out but by who? I don't know…" Sarada frowned as Mitsuki was silent as he was fully aware of Itachi being the clan slayer of the Uchiha as well as the truth behind the Uchiha Clan Massacre but he chose not to say anything…knowing these memories would reveal the truth sooner or later.

"Good. You're each unique and you have your own ideas. We'll have our first mission tomorrow." Kakashi decided to be the first one to speak after hearing of Sasuke's agenda.

"Unique? Talk about a lack of a better word." Boruto snorted.

"And I wonder what their mission will be?" Sarada raised an eyebrow as Naruto's color came to his face at the prospect of a ninja mission.

"Eeyup, what kind of mission are we gonna have?" Naruto grinned with a proud salute.

"It's a task the four of us will do together." Kakashi began as Naruto looked ready to cream himself.

"What!? What!? What!?" Naruto eagerly begged to know.

"A survival exercise." Kakashi answered as both the team in the memory as well as out of the memory looked at Kakashi in confusion.

"Huh? Survival exercise?" Naruto's eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Is it like the bell exercise we had all that time ago?" Sarada put her hand to her chin in confusion.

"Guess we'll see." Boruto shrugged.

"I thought we were supposed to have a real mission, not more practice. We already did this stuff at the academy. That's how we got here." Sakura was quick to point out to her new sensei who quickly rebuffed her.

"This is not like your previous training." Kakashi clarified.

"So uh…what kind of training is it, then?" Naruto tilted his head before Kakashi actually starting chuckling to himself, slightly creeping out some of the children watching.

"Uh…what's so funny?" Boruto raised an eyebrow as Sakura agreed with him.

"Hey, hold on. That's a normal question. What's so funny?" Sakura asked, getting irritated at what was apparently so funny to the Jonin in charge of them when Naruto was clearly not trying to be funny.

"Heh, well if I tell you the answer, you're not going to like it~" Kakashi said in a sing song voice as Naruto looked puzzled.

"Yeah I can see that." Sarada nodded as Kakashi quickly lost his laugh.

"Of the twenty seven graduates who just came here, only nine will actually be accepted as Genin. The other eighteen will be weeded out and sent back to the Academy. In other words, this is a make it or break it pass-fail test and the chance that you'll fail is at least sixty six percent." Kakashi explained thoroughly as even Sasuke looked unnerved at how much the odds were stacked against them.

"…Well he was right about them not liking it." Mitsuki chuckled at their pale faces.

"You know, if lowly academy kids like us could make it, I have no doubt these guys could hack it!" Boruto grinned.

"We'll definitely have a show to watch." Sarada mused.

"See? Didn't I tell you, you wouldn't like it?" Kakashi asked as everyone picked up clear amusement in his voice.

"That's crazy! We worked hard to get here, believe it! What was that graduation test for anyways!?" Naruto yelled as he regained his will to speak.

"Oh that? That was just to select candidates who might become Genin…or not." Kakashi nonchalantly said.

"What!?" Naruto exclaimed, not believing just how far the odds were stacked against him though Kakashi seemingly took no notice of this.

"That's how it is. I decide whether you pass or fail. Be at the designated training spot at Five AM and bring your ninja gear." Kakashi ordered as Naruto clenched his fists while donning a determined expression.

"Well I'm not gonna be weeded out! People are going to look up to me some day! I've got to pass this test! Believe it, believe it!" Naruto vowed.

"And you will." Boruto smiled.

"If I fail, I'll be separated from Sasuke. This is a trial of love!" Sakura vowed as Sarada rolled her eyes in slight annoyance.

"Oh mom…" Sarada felt slightly embarrassed at how much of a fangirl her mother was.

Sasuke merely clenched his fists together, clearly determined not to fail.

"That's it. You're dismissed. Oh, tomorrow you better skip breakfast or else, you'll puke." Kakashi stated as the three newly made Genin looked unnerved with that piece of information.

"But if you do a mission on an empty stomach wouldn't you puke regardless?" Boruto asked.

"Yeah, that's definitely not healthy since you're denying your body the calories it needs to function. Ninja need more to stay up to snuff after all." Sarada said to Boruto as Mitsuki realized what Kakashi's intent was.

"It's a trick. Clearly Kakashi-Sensei doesn't actually want them to go into this exercise without any food but he wants to see if they can catch his bluff." Mitsuki pointed out as Boruto sighed.

"And it looks like they're not gonna catch on." Boruto shook his head as Kakashi handed the team a piece of paper each between the three of them.

"The details are on this piece of paper. And don't be late tomorrow." Kakashi explained as Naruto tensed along with Sakura who looked ready to rip her hair out.

"Might throw up!? Is it that tough!?" Naruto looked ready to soil himself as he could barely hold the paper of instructions along with Sakura while Sasuke merely crumpled the paper up before throwing it behind him. Kakashi didn't appear pleased with this but said nothing.

"Okay….I don't think I'm going to be used to this arrogant version of dad…" Sarada frowned not believing this arrogant young boy was the kind, wise man that was her father.

"I know….I'm so used to Uncle Sasuke being so humble…." Boruto frowned as the team soon left with the next day on their mind with nothing but expectations of success on their mind.

Sakura quickly ran behind Sasuke who walked home with his hands in his pockets, clearly a lot on his mind.

"Hey Sasuke, wanna walk home together?" Sakura suggested with a smile as Sasuke didn't even look back to acknowledge her.

"No way. I'm finally a genin and I have no intention of failing here. I'm going to train alone." Sasuke bluntly rejected Sakura before leaving without another word.

"Harsh…" Boruto blinked as Sarada frowned at her sad looking future mother.

"Poor mom…" Sarada wished she could comfort her mother who looked close to tears.

"….I guess…you're right…" Sakura frowned. Though unknown to her, Naruto watched the entire scenario from a nearby corner.

He frowned in sympathy for Sakura before quickly scoffing.

"That guy…acting so uppity!" Naruto scowled at Sasuke's retreating back before making his way home as nightfall fell before crafting a cheaply made motionless Kakashi doll.

"Talk about a good artist." Boruto snorted as the Kakashi doll looked more like a scarecrow than Kakashi.

"Almost as good as Uncle Sai." Sarada sniggered as Boruto realized something.

"I wonder where Uncle Sai is…." Boruto muttered.

"Definitely somewhere." Mitsuki chuckled as he knew it would be a couple of years when Naruto would finally meet the pale Root ninja.

Naruto quickly kicked the Kakashi doll from all angles.

"Where he comes at me I'll do this and I'll throw a punch here but then he'll kick with his right left and then I'll kick him in the balls!" Naruto yelled.

"That's nice and all but it won't do you any good to come to training all exhausted from no sleep, moron." Boruto rolled his eyes before the scene suddenly shifted to the clear night sky with Naruto and Sakura staggering to the training field clearly exhausting with Sasuke being the only one who was awake and ready to go.

It eventually reached sun rise and early morning when Naruto and Sakura were starting to doze on each other as Sasuke waited, clearly agitated and ready for Kakashi to appear.

"Is he just being a dick on purpose?" Boruto yawned starting to get tired from all this waiting.

"I dunno but this is making me miss my bed…." Sarada also yawned.

"Eh, I'm fine." Mitsuki shrugged as Kakashi finally appeared around nine that morning.

"Morning, everyone. Ready for your first day?" Kakashi smiled as he waved to his team as they were less than pleased to see him.

"Hey! You're late!" Naruto and Sakura barked at him while Sasuke merely glared daggers at him.

"Well a black cat crossed my path so I had to take the long way." Kakashi's eye curved upwards resembling a smile as none of his team looked convinced nor grateful for Kakashi's answer.

"Right." Boruto snorted.

"Did he sleep in or something?" Sarada asked.

"We'll find out the sooner we go into these memories." Mitsuki said as Kakashi cleared his throat.

"Well, let's get started." Kakashi said, getting everyone's attention as he put down a couple of Bento boxed lunches by three logs as he also set down a small alarm clock on one of the stumps.

"Here we go. It's set for noon." Kakashi set a time on the clock before pulling out two bells as Team Seven stared at the bells in confusion.

"I was right! It was the same bell test he used with all of us!" Sarada pointed.

"Actually we thought that too, not just you." Boruto gave the Uchiha a crap eating grin as she whacked his skull.

"Shut up!" Sarada yelled.

"Your assignment is very simple. You just have to take these bells from me. That's all there is to it. But if you can't get them by noon, you go without lunch. And you'll watch while I eat my lunch in front of you." Kakashi explained pointed to the three log stumps as three hungry stomachs rang through the air with low growling sounds as Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura all looked uncomfortable.

"Oh talk about a dick move…" Boruto winced, thankful Kakashi didn't do that with him and his other Academy friends.

"He's definitely doing that just for spite…" Sarada sighed as it was then that Team Seven quickly realized why Kakashi gave them to "no food" rule.

"Wait a minute, there's three of us. How come there's only two bells?" Sakura asked realizing how there was only two bells for the three of them.

"Heh, well that way at least one of you will end up tied to a post and ultimately disqualified for failing to complete the mission. That one goes back to the Academy. Then again, all three of you could flunk out, too. You can use any weapons including Shuriken. If you're not prepared to kill me, you won't be able to take the bells." Kakashi explained.

"If like with us then the main objective of the test isn't so much about strength as much as it is about teamwork." Mitsuki pointed out.

"But will they figure it out?" Boruto asked.

"Considering where they are now, obviously!" Sarada yelled as Sakura looked unnerved at what she was hearing.

"Those weapons are too dangerous, Sensei!" Sakura was quick to point out, not wanting to cause any harm to her sensei.

"Especially since you couldn't even dodge that eraser." Naruto laughed, clearly having a low opinion of his sensei which was obviously reciprocated.

"Class clowns are usually the weakest links. You can safely ignore them, lowest scores, losers." Kakashi pointed out, making Naruto lose his amused mood.

"Well, he's not wrong." Mitsuki noted.

"Talk about a low blow though." Boruto muttered, knowing how much Naruto hated being reminded of his lack of talent back in the Ninja Academy.

"When I say start, you can begin." Kakashi turned to Sasuke and Sakura, clearly disregarding Naruto who growled as the word "loser" kept ringing through his mind.

Without even thinking, Naruto quickly grabbed one of his kunai and charged right at Kakashi who quickly restraining Naruto with tying the arm with his kunai behind his head with the kunai being directly beside his head by several centimeters.

"Talk about fast! I couldn't even see him!" Sarada pointed out.

"And I thought Old Man Kakashi was badass now but back then…." Boruto could hardly wrap his head around it.

"Given how he is in his twenties right here, he's still in his prime and so his strength would be greater than what it is currently." Mitsuki said as he understood the hype behind Kakashi even clearer now that he could see him in his prime and he was certain he would see even more of his strength the father they go down these memories.

"Don't be in such a hurry. I didn't say start yet." Kakashi said in a tone of voice that let everyone both in and out of the memory know that Naruto was clearly not a threat to him at his current level. Sasuke and Sakura were obviously unnerved at what they were seeing as they back up clearly startled as Kakashi quickly let go of Naruto while giving him back his kunai.

"But…you came at me with the full intention of destroying me so…how can I say this? I'm actually starting to like you guys." Kakashi said with a small smile under his mask though no one could see as even the team in the memory blushed at Kakashi's praise as they smiled, slightly happy to see they gained an iota of Kakashi's respect.

"And that's how they started off as one big happy family." Mitsuki smiled.

"It's a start." Boruto gave a small laugh.

"Get ready… …start!" Kakashi said as they all scattered. Around a couple of minutes, it was obviously that Sasuke and Sakura had hidden in either the nearby bushes or tree well….

And as for Naruto?

"You and me! Right now! Fair and square!" Naruto exclaimed with a huge smile with his arms crossed, unguarded and all in the open as even Kakashi looked lost for words at how moronic this boy was.

"Moron." Boruto muttered as Sarada face-palmed.

"At least he has spirit." Mitsuki chuckled as Kakashi struggled to find words.

"You know…compared to the others, you're a bit weird." Kakashi pointed out as Naruto closed one eye while glaring at Kakashi.

"Oh yeah? The only thing weird is your haircut!" Naruto spat.

"Nice diss!" Boruto snickered as Naruto quickly charged at Kakashi as the Jonin put no hands up to defend himself as the look in Kakashi's eyes showed just how uninterested he actually was in perceiving Naruto as an actual threat before he got one hand in his back ninja pouch as Naruto readied himself for whatever Kakashi was planning to do.

"Shinobi Battle Techniques, Part One. Taijutsu-the physical art." Kakashi said before pulling out not a weapon but an orange book.

"….Uh….what?" Boruto deadpanned before his eyes widened.

"Hey! That's the Make Out Paradise book Old Man Jiraiya wrote!" Boruto pointed as Sarada's eyes widened at Boruto's words.

"Seriously?" Sarada asked.

"I wonder what's in there?" Mitsuki curiously asked as Boruto's eyes narrowed.

"I tried finding out but everyone said we were too young." Boruto crossed his arms with confusion in his eyes as Sarada blinked in realization.

"You know…maybe we're better off not knowing…" Sarada grimaced at the slightly pervy look in Kakashi's eyes as he started reading his book.

"What the?" Naruto blinked as he actually lowered his arms, thinking it to be completely asinine that someone would read a book in the middle of combat.

"What're you waiting for? Make your move." Kakashi said as Naruto actually took a step back in apprehension.

"But…I mean, why are you reading that book?" Naruto blinked, utterly lost.

"Why? To find out what happens in the story, of course. Don't let it bother you. With your weak attacks, it doesn't really matter if I'm reading or…whatever." Kakashi shrugged as Naruto looked even more lost than normal before clenching his fists, as anger clouded his judgement.

"I'm going to crush you!" Naruto yelled, upset at how he wasn't being taken seriously as he swung a right hook at Kakashi followed by a kick that Kakashi easily dodged with little to no effort.

"H-huh?" Naruto asked while not even knowing that Kakashi was behind him.

"Don't let your enemy get behind you all the time." Kakashi said as he made a hand sign.

"Wait a second. That's a fire seal! Is he gonna incinerate him?" Sarada quickly noted.

"Yeah, I know he wants to show dad his place but that's overkill!" Boruto yelled as Mitsuki was surprisingly calm.

"Something tells me not to worry about it." Mitsuki smiled as both of his teammates looked to him in confusion.

"How can we not worry about it? That's a fire seal when dad's not ready for something like that!" Boruto yelled as the voice of Sakura rang through the air.

"Naruto! Get out of there quick! He's going to destroy you!" Sakura yelled, her voice alarming everyone.

"Mom?" Sarada asked as Naruto looked around to find Sakura.

"Too late. Leaf Secret Hidden Finger Jutsu!" Kakashi yelled as Naruto looked down in confusion before he stopped as Team Konohamaru looked at the young boy in confusion.

"Dad? What's wr-"Boruto yelled before he stopped and paled as the team looked to see Kakashi's fingers up Naruto's ass.

"…..U-uh…" Boruto blinked with wide, blank eyes.

"….The hell…." Sarada couldn't even form words as Naruto was sent flying as his screams rang loud through the air as Kakashi's fingers sparkled.

"A THOUSAND YEARS OF DEATH!" Kakashi yelled as Naruto was sent flying into the water pond nearby.

"…..Did he just shove his fingers in his ass?" Boruto asked.

"…That was just an over glorified ass poke…" Sarada muttered as Mitsuki was actually laughing at the whole thing.

"Like I said this has got to be the most entertaining thing we've seen since coming in these memories." Mitsuki cheerfully chuckled.

"Of course you'd find this funny." Boruto deadpanned.

"Look at things like this, at least he got a free prostate!" Mitsuki chuckled as Boruto and Sarada looked at him disturbed.

"What is wrong with you!?" Boruto yelled.

"…I hope he at least washed those fingers…" Sarada muttered, not really wanting to shake Kakashi's hand anymore the next time she would see him.

Team Konohamaru then followed Naruto who was looking pretty frustrated in the water at how things were clearly not going the way he planned.

"Ugh…I'm not gonna let it end like this! I'll attack from the water. Now!" Naruto yelled, throwing two Shuriken with Kakashi's defenses seemingly lowered although he caught the Shuriken stars with his fingers, not even needing to look up from the pornography he was reading.

"….Talk about being mismatched…" Sarada muttered.

"You know, Old Man Kakashi was a beast when we faced him. I wonder how our exams would have gone if we faced him here when he was twenty years younger?" Boruto asked.

"It definitely would have been harder considering he was in his prime." Mitsuki said although he was certain he would have won if he had his Sage Mode.

"Damn it! There's no way!" Naruto cursed as he clenched his fists as his mind flashed to all the naysayers he met in his life.

"_You? Become Hokage? Don't make me laugh!" _One Academy kid laughed at Naruto.

"_Becoming Hokage? Yeah? On what planet!?" _Kiba jeered at Naruto.

"_There's no way the class loser can compete against Sasuke!" _A random Academy girl snickered at Naruto.

"_You're the Nine Tailed Demon Fox who destroyed the village! Who'd ever acknowledge you!" _ Mizuki jeered at Naruto before the image of Iruka was seen through these memories.

"_I've acknowledged him as one of my excellent students!" _Iruka smiled with the utmost confidence in Naruto.

"I can't! I won't fail here!" Naruto yelled as he made a hand sign.

"And you won't!" Boruto smiled in support of his father.

"Yeah, you'll prove everyone who ever doubted you wrong!" Sarada added as several shadows were shown across the water.

"He must be making his move with his Shadow Clones." Mitsuki amusingly noted as Naruto crawled out of the water, coughing out water all the while.

"What're you doing now? You know, you won't get lunch unless you get a bell." Kakashi lazily pointed out to Naruto who looked frustrated with both anger and hunger.

"I know! I know! You told us already!" Naruto yelled as Kakashi merely continued reading his book, not even really acknowledging Naruto.

"You look pretty wobbly for someone who's going to become Hokage." Kakashi said in a voice that sounded like he almost mocking Naruto's dream as Naruto's stomach chose in that moment to gurgle in hunger.

"Ugh! You told us not to eat breakfast so how can I fight when I'm starving to death!? So you caught me off guard! That's all it was, believe it!" Naruto yelled as Kakashi walked off, losing interest in the current conversation.

"Carelessness can be your worst enemy, you know?" Kakashi asked as Naruto grunted, hunger and anger clouding his judgement.

"…I'm so hungry I don't have any strength but I can't let that stop me…I've got to get one of those bells no matter what. I'll find the strength somehow, believe it. I'm going to pass this test and I'm not going back to the Academy! I will become a ninja!" Naruto vowed with his stomach growling in hunger before several clones erupted from the water behind him as Kakashi looked surprised at this recent turn of events.

"Looks like things are starting to turn over now." Boruto smiled.

"Haha, you're over confident, sensei! That's why you weren't ready for a Shadow Clone attack, my best jutsu!" Naruto smirked as he ran to Kakashi with several clones running by his side as Kakashi's visible eye widened as he looked as if he were remembering something important.

"It looks like the stories are true, he can produce Shadow Clones. It's a forbidden skill….and he defeated Mizuki with it." Kakashi's eye softened as a look of what appeared to be respect filled his eye.

However it soon changed as he realized despite Naruto's recently gained technique, it still wasn't enough to defeat him.

"Great technique. But I don't think you can maintain it for very long. You talk like you're the best Naruto but you're still the worst student. You can't beat me with this jutsu." Kakashi stated before one clone actually was able to get and subdue Kakashi from behind his back.

"What the!?" Kakashi asked, surprised as he clearly wasn't expecting this.

"That's living up to the unpredictability from his name." Mitsuki mused.

"Is he gonna do it?" Sarada asked.

"…Something tells me this won't be too easy." Boruto noted as the Naruto clone laughed triumphantly.

"Didn't you say, 'Don't let your enemies get behind you?' Good advice sensei, believe it. I had one of my clones come out of the water and sneak up behind you!" Naruto smirked as he jumped in the air as he reeled his fist back.

"Now this is for nailing me in the butt earlier!" Naruto grinned.

"Do it Lord Seventh!" Sarada cheered like a schoolgirl in love as Boruto rolled his eyes.

"If you love him so much, why don't you marry him?" Boruto scoffed as Sarada whacked his skull yet again.

"Shut up!" Sarada yelled again as Naruto's smirk turned into a deadly glare.

"You're mine and so are those bells!" Naruto yelled as he smacked Kakashi or rather…..his Naruto clone.

In short…Naruto hit…Naruto….

"Wait, what just happened?" Sarada asked as Boruto sighed.

"Like I said, this was way too easy for someone like Old Man Kakashi. Even with someone like dad." Boruto said as Naruto and the clone fell to the ground before an idea hatched in Naruto's head over what happened.

"Wait, it's you! You're Kakashi-Sensei, aren't you!? You transformed into me using a jutsu!" Naruto accused with a pointed finger as he pointed at one of his clones as they logically got angry at him.

"No you are!"

"You're Kakashi-Sensei!"

"You are!"

"Believe it!"

"You smell like an old man, you must be him!" Were some of the comments heard as Boruto and Sarada deadpanned.

"It's an idiot free for all." Boruto groaned, feeling a headache of sheer stupidity coming.

"For once I agree with you." Sarada sighed as Mitsuki laughed.

"Yep, definitely the most entertaining memory we've seen so far." Mitsuki smiled as Naruto quickly got everyone's attention with a shout.

"Hey, let's undo the jutsu! That way we'll know who's who!" Naruto said as a clone glared at him.

"Should've thought of that sooner, fool." A clone spat as he glared at his master with disdain.

"You're the jerk, why didn't you think of that!?" Naruto spat back.

"Just undo the jutsu!" Another clone yelled as Naruto did just that, ending the jutsu as he stood in the middle of the field with a lone tear in his eye.

"He got you, moron." Boruto rolled his eyes.

"You know something? Where are mom and dad? They should be out here helping Lord Seventh but they're nowhere around." Sarada pointed as she looked around.

"Like we said earlier they probably haven't figured out the meaning of this test is teamwork. That and they probably know that they probably won't have much of an effect against Lord Kakashi either." Mitsuki answered as a metallic ring got Naruto's attention as he looked at the silver bell like how a kid would react upon finding a certain golden ticket in a chocolate candy bar.

"Hm? A bell!? Hehe, I must've got to him with my attack! He dropped a bell!" Naruto laughed as he ran to the Bell eagerly.

"Don't take the bait you dolt!" Boruto and Sarada simultaneously yelled before he was hoisted by a nearby rope on a tree as he like a fish dangling on a hook.

"Ugh! Moron! How is this the Lord Seventh we know now!?" Sarada groaned with a face palm.

"Dad…if the bait is right in front of you…don't take it!" Boruto yelled wishing his father could hear him as Kakashi came right at that moment, getting the Bell the ground as Naruto looked disappointed as Kakashi sighed in disappointment at the orange clad ninja.

"Think before you use a jutsu or else your opponent might use it against you. And also, if the bait is obvious, don't take it." Kakashi smiled as Boruto and Sarada nodded fervently.

"Told you so!" Boruto and Sarada simultaneously said.

Naruto however just growled as he struggled against the rope restraining his feet.

"A ninja must see through deception." Kakashi said as Naruto continued struggling through the rope.

"I….get…it…!" Naruto yelled as Kakashi decided to pojnt out how ridiculous Naruto was being.

"I'm telling you this because you don't get it. You think you get it which is not the same as actually getting it. Get it?" Kakashi asked.

"Okay is he just patronizing him at this point?" Sarada asked, getting slightly uncomfortable. Yeah Naruto was outmatched but did Kakashi have to point it out so bluntly?

"Won't you ever lea-"Kakashi was about to start another lecture before he was suddenly a flurry of Kunai and Shuriken, sending blood splattering from all angles.

"Holy shit!" Boruto yelled. Yeah he knew Kakashi survived and all but still that was overkill. And given that Naruto was tied up and Sakura clearly didn't have it within her to be so vicious that only left one more person.

"Was that…dad?" Sarada asked, not believing how vicious her father used to be.

"Whoa! He just got blasted by Shuriken! Are you out of your mind, Sasuke!? You went too far!" Naruto yelled as the "body" of Kakashi fell to the ground before it poofed, revealing a log that was clearly reminiscent of a pincushion.

"That wasn't very smart. Now he's revealed his location." Mitsuki said as the sound of footsteps running were heard. Although what bothered some of the team was how Sasuke and Sakura were completely disregarding Naruto in his current predicament.

"Why aren't they helping him!?" Boruto asked, frustrated at how no one was coming to Naruto's aid and how he was essentially ignored.

"It's because of since he's the Academy loser they don't consider him worthy of their help." Mitsuki bluntly stated as Sarada was taken aback at how cold her parents were being described by Mitsuki.

Although…he wasn't really wrong when she stopped and thought about it.

"Well they should get their heads out of their asses and help him because if they don't, they're all screwed." Boruto sighed.

"It's not like they know." Sarada reminded Boruto as Naruto grunted remembering Kakashi's words to him not too long ago.

"'A ninja must see through deception.' Yeah, yeah. How am I supposed to do that? Hmph! Well I'm sure not falling for any more of his traps!" Naruto yelled as he touched down, grinned at his supposed victory before he was hoisted up again.

Boruto snickered before nearly falling on Mitsuki laughing.

"I see what you're talking about Mitsuki!" Boruto was practically wiping tears in laughter as Sarada merely groaned.

"I fell for it again!" Naruto yelled.

"You sure did!" Boruto laughed as Sarada gave a small smile despite her irritation as Boruto stretched his arms.

"You know something? Since we can talk around in these memories, I wanna see how Auntie Sakura and Uncle Sasuke fare against Kakashi. Since they seem to think they're above dad." Boruto put his hand in his pocket.

While Sarada would typically disagree with her teammate, she was slightly curious as to how they fared against Kakashi also.

"Sounds good." Mitsuki said as both boys walked off.

"Hey, wait up!" Sarada said as she catched up with both boys before a loud familiar scream got everyone's attention.

"Wait a second! Was that mom?" Sarada cringed at how deep and fearful the scream was.

"I think so! But from where?" Boruto asked.

"Over there!" Mitsuki pointed as the team followed the trail from where Mitsuki pointed his finger before they found Sakura on the ground pale with tears streaming down her eyes with foam around her mouth.

Boruto and Sarada were…unnerved to say the least.

"…Uh…is she…okay?" Boruto blinked, poking the unconscious Sakura only to phase through to her.

"Obviously not!" Sarada snapped at Boruto before looking at her mom in concern.

"It looks like she was placed under a genjutsu of some sorts." Mitsuki observed the unconscious pinkette.

"No doubt by Kakashi. But I don't even think I wanna know what he put her under…" Boruto shuddered.

"Same." Sarada said as the team decided to advance further before noticing a tuft of black spiky hair and a blue shirt.

"Dad!" Sarada smiled as the team ran behind Sasuke who merely smirked.

"Hmph, I'm not surprised he caught Sakura with Genjutsu but I'm not like Sakura and Naruto." Sasuke's eyes darkened as everyone noticed Kakashi mere feet away from Sasuke.

"Say that after you get one of these bells. My Sasuke~Hehe." Kakashi was quick to remind the young Uchiha of what was at stake, not even bothering to look up from his novel as Sasuke scowled, realizing that Kakashi wasn't even perceiving the last Uchiha as a threat.

Sasuke's fingers twitched as he stared down Kakashi, not even fazed at how he was half of Kakashi's size.

"Here we go…." Boruto said.

"I wonder how dad's gonna do." Sarada murmured, clearly invested in this fight before Sasuke threw a flurry of Shuriken at Kakashi who easily dodged with little to no effort.

"There's no point using normal attacks." Kakashi boringly said as Sasuke merely smirked before throwing a kunai at a rope as Kakashi's eyes widened as he realized it was just a ruse to lure Kakashi into a trap which Kakashi was narrowly able to dodge a flurry of kunai that would have turned him into a pincushion had he not dodged fast enough due to him suppressing himself to not go overboard with these trio of Genin.

Before Kakashi could even breathe, Sasuke gave Kakashi a very sharp kick which Kakahsi was able to catch while catching a right hook from Sasuke followed by a kick from Sasuke's remaining leg before Kakashi's eyes widened as he felt his bells jingle.

Sasuke smirked as his plan was seemingly close to working.

"He's got them!" Sarada cheered before Kakashi was able to jump back.

"Damn, so close!" Boruto cursed as Sasuke's teeth grit in frustration.

"This kid! He's fierce…..I won't be able to read 'Make Out Paradise' now." Kakashi's eyes narrowed as he realized he would half to get just a tad bit more serious if he wanted to keep his bells.

"Looks like Kakashi-Sensei is learning they're not all talk." Mitsuki smiled as Sasuke huffed before standing up straight before going through a series of hand signs.

"Horse! Tiger! Fire Style! Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke yelled as Kakashi's visible eye widened.

"What!? Genin can't do fire jutsu. Takes too much chakra. There's no way!" Kakashi looked at the young Uchiha in amazement.

"Then again this is Sasuke Uchiha so…" Mitsuki's eye rolled as Sasuke spat a large ball of fire at the Jonin who was seemingly incinerated by the jutsu as nothing of him was present.

"Yeah he's definitely not going down that easily." Sarada's eyes scrolled around, wondering where Kakashi was as Sasuke was just as stunned.

"Where did he go!? Behind me? Above?" Sasuke asked before his eyes widened as a familiar voice spoke from below him.

"Where? I'm where you least expect me." Kakashi said from the ground below as everyone looked to see Kakashi's hand tightly grip Sasuke's ankle.

"Holy shit! I wish I could do that…" Boruto muttered as Sarada cut her eyes at him.

"You have way more powerful jutsu!" Sarada pointed out before Sasuke was then brought and practically buried underground save for his head making him look like a decapitated scarecrow or painting.

"Right under your feet. Earth Style Headhunter Jutsu." Kakashi pointed out as Sasuke grunted as he looked down both in anger and frustration with himself for thinking that Kakashi would be taken out so easily. He was a Jonin, after all.

"That was Ninjutsu, the third shinobi battle style. You have talent and you were right, you are different from the others but different isn't always better. They say 'the nail that sticks up is the one that gets hammered down'." Kakashi stated matter of factly before walking off, knowing Sasuke was of no real threat to him than the others.

"I mean he's not wrong." Mitsuki shrugged.

"He really is just patronizing them at this point." Sarada muttered.

"Oh great!" Sasuke growled, upset at his failure.

"Well…I guess we should go back to dad?" Boruto sighed, feeling disappointed that Sasuke really did no better than Naruto or even Sakura.

"Eeyup." Sarada sighed just as disappointed as they walked right over to the tree where Naruto was, or supposedly was as they found he was no longer there.

"Where is that idiot?" Boruto groaned, feeling a headache coming from all this stupidity as Mitsuki laughed.

"Right over there." Mitsuki smiled as the team followed the sound of laughing as Naruto was grinning as he had chopsticks while looking hungrily over two boxed lunches.

"Don't tell me he's gonna…" Sarada deadpanned.

"He's gonna try to eat everyone's lunches." Boruto face-palmed.

"And this is not going to end up well for him." Mitsuki laughed, the only one finding amusement at what he was seeing as he noticed Kakashi walked behind him before standing over him while Naruto was too far into himself to notice.

"Sensei told us that if we don't get a bell, then we don't get any lunch. But if I eat my lunch now, then there's nothing he could do. It's chow time!" Naruto grinned, drooling and about to dig in.

At least until…

"Hi, there." Kakashi said as Naruto screamed before turning as pale as Sai before looking up to see Kakashi scowling down at Naruto, clearly unpleased at Naruto's behavior before he looked down, wishing for a way out of this.

"What'd I tell you?" Mitsuki grinned as Boruto and Sarada sighed, feeling equal levels of annoyance.

"Uh…I was just…joking sensei…." Naruto muttered, hoping to save his ass.

"Dumbass!" Boruto and Sarada yelled.

"Nice try." Was all Kakashi said before the scene shifted as Naruto soon found himself tied to one of the log stumps like a dunce in class with Sasuke on his right side with Sakura on their left as their growling stomachs filled the air with starving sounds.

"And…I'm just gonna assume they failed." Boruto dryly said as Kakashi decided to speak up right as their stomachs stopped growling.

"Uh oh, growling stomachs, huh? That's too bad." Kakashi sarcastically said before raising a finger, "Oh by the way, about this exercise? Well, I've decided I won't be sending any of you back to the Academy." Kakashi stated as Team Konohamaru looked to each other in confusion.

"Wait, what? They passed after all that?" Boruto asked.

"Yeah, they didn't even work as a team. They just went off on their own." Sarada added.

"It's definitely a ploy." Mitsuki pointed out though the team in the memory had no such suspicions.

"Huh!?" Naruto broadly grinned as Sakura just looked lost.

"What? I passed? All I did was faint and fall over. Do you get points for that?" Sakura bluntly asked as Boruto and Mitsuki snickered at Sakura's honesty while Sarada just looked embarrassed.

"I doubt it." Boruto snickered.

"Oh mom…" Sarada wished she could just crawl under a rock.

Sasuke smirked in satisfaction while Sakura jumped up and down like a kid on a field trip bus as Naruto was about to do the same despite the ropes restraining him.

"Then, then that means all three of us!? I mean, all three of us!?" Naruto gleefully exclaimed, expecting to hear the words "You Pass!" come from Kakashi's lips.

"Yes. All three of you are being dropped from the program…" Kakashi started with a cheerful smile before his face morphed into a judgmental scowl.

"PERMANENTLY!" Kakashi yelled as Team Seven's happy expressions transformed into those of horror and dread as they looked at their sensei.

"…..And that just killed the mood." Boruto muttered as Sarada looked lost for words.

"Wait dropped from the program? But no, that can't be! Given mom and dad's statuses now, that couldn't have happened. How?" Sarada asked puzzled.

"I guess we'll just have to see how." Mitsuki answered as the team turned back to the memory as Naruto was quick to call Kakashi out.

"Drop us from the program? That means we can never become ninja! You said if we couldn't take the bells, we'd get sent back to the Academy! You can't just change your mind and kick us out! Why would you do that!?" Naruto yelled, voicing the thoughts of his teammates better than they could while Kakashi looked unfazed by Naruto's anger and shock.

"Because you don't think like ninja. You think like little kids, like brats." Kakashi bluntly stated as the last part of that was enough to set Sasuke off as he charged Kakashi.

"Dad!" Sarada yelled.

"He couldn't lay a hit on him before when he was playing with him, what the hell does he think he can do now!?" Boruto yelled and as to prove Boruto's point, Sasuke was shoved to the ground with his arm wrapped tightly around his back with Kakashi's foot on his head as Kakashi resembling someone about to crush on bug.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled.

"That's going too far, isn't it!?" Sarada yelled in concern for her dad.

"He's too much of a wild card to just sit and listen. Especially with how arrogant we've seen him be in these memories." Mitsuki pointed out as Sarada had no comeback to that.

"You think it's all about you." Kakashi pointed out, more to all three of them rather than just Sasuke who grunted in both anger and embarrassment.

"Let go of Sasuke! You can't step on him like he's a bug!" Sakura yelled before Kakashi easily shut her up with a serious glare in his eye, making her step back as Boruto and Sarada were unnerved with the look in his eye. Never before had they seen Kakashi be so serious….even with them.

"Whoa…Uncle Kakashi….I've never seen him like that before…" Boruto observed.

"You don't know what it means to be a ninja. You think it's a game, huh?" Kakashi asked as Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura were taken aback by the roughness in his tone.

"Why do you think we put you on squads? Did you consider that question for one moment?" Kakashi added onto his precious question as the team looked utterly lost.

"Uh…I don't know what you mean?" Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"I mean you never realized what this exercise is all about. Not even close." Kakashi pointed out, anger clear in his tone as a question mark was practically floating over Naruto's head.

"…What it's about?" Naruto asked, confusion clear in his voice.

"Yes, that's what determines whether you pass or fail." Kakashi answered Naruto as the brightest of the Ninja Academy graduates Sakura, couldn't have looked more puzzled than Naruto.

"But that's…I mean…I wanted to ask you about that from the beginning…." Sakura meekly muttered as Kakashi looked ready to rip his hair out in frustration as he couldn't believe these kids were this oblivious.

"Tsk, use your head. Three people on a squad. Why do you think we would do that?" Kakashi asked as Naruto's short fuse was already lit.

"Ugh! How are we supposed to know why you picked three people!? We didn't make the rules!" Naruto yelled as Kakashi kept his frustration together as he finally decided to literally spell it out for the three ninja.

"It's so basic. Teamwork!" Kakashi yelled as Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura's eyes widened as it seemed to finally set in the true meaning of Kakashi's bell test.

"Looks like they've finally got it." Mitsuki said.

"I hope so at least." Boruto responded.

"….Team work? Is that what you mean?" Sakura asked slightly embarrassed though Kakashi was unfazed.

"That's what I mean. It's too late now. But if all three of you had come with me, you might have been able to take them. Well anyway, it's over." Kakashi stated.

"He's right. With Lord Seventh's Shadow Clones, Mister Sasuke's fire jutsu and with Miss Sakura creating a diversion, they would have been able to get a bell with their collective efforts." Mitsuki said.

"…But…because they were being too selfish and preoccupied with their own selves and their own agendas, they failed." Boruto noted as Mitsuki nodded.

"Exactly." Mitsuki confirmed Boruto's answer as Sakura looked as if she were remembering something.

"Wait a minute! You set it up with three people but only two bells. If we worked together and got the bells, only two of us could keep them. And that would lead to group conflict and the squad would break up." Sakura noted.

"Yeah, it would've just led to a sort of team mutiny." Sarada agreed as Kakashi nodded as the team were finally understanding the real agenda behind this test.

"Exactly. I purposely pitted you against each other. I wanted to see if you could overcome that and put the team ahead of yourselves. A Genin should have a natural feel for teamwork. But you…it never even crossed your mind…." Kakashi scowled as he looked over all three of the Genin.

"He is right. Without teamwork we never would have been able to make it this far and we never would have overcome the Chunin Exams like our fight with Shinki." Sarada said as he looked to Boruto.

"Yeah, we all need to learn to work together in other to succeed." Boruto nodded as Kakashi decided to round on all three Genin.

"Sakura, you obsessed over Sasuke who was gone while Naruto was right in front of you and you wouldn't lift a finger to help him. Naruto, you do everything on your own, everything. And you Sasuke, thought the others were so far beneath you they were worthless. Arrogance…" Kakashi stated with disgust and disappointment clear in his tone as the three all looked down in shame, at having been put on blast.

"He's not wrong…..dad was trying to do everything by himself to the point where he shut out any and everything around him, Auntie Sakura was too obsessed over Sasuke where it crippled her skills in helping dad while Uncle Sasuke didn't even consider the others worth his time." Boruto agreed with Kakashi as neither of his teammates could disagree with him.

"Yep." Sarada sighed her agreement, just wondering what changed between all of them.

"Ninja missions are carried out in squads. Of course you need individual skills but teamwork is the most essential element. Every Shinobi understands this. When individuals put themselves above the squad, this can lead to failure and death. For example…" Kakashi fished in his ninja pouch before bringing a kunai to Sasuke's neck, "Sakura! Kill Naruto now or Sasuke dies!"

Naruto and Sakura looked unnerved as Naruto looked ready to pee himself, hoping Sakura wouldn't knowing how big her infatuation over Sasuke was as Boruto and Sarada were just as unnerved.

"Okay I get he's trying to make a point but isn't that going too far!?" Sarada yelled.

"No it's not. Because if they acted on a real mission like how they acted in this bell test, one of if not all three of them would end up dead. And that's just the truth." Mitsuki brutally answered.

"Geesh….I can only imagine what the three of them ended up going on for Ninja Missions…" Boruto muttered as Kakashi quickly put his kunai back into his ninja pouch as he seemed relatively pleased he got his point across.

"That's what happens on a mission. The enemy takes a hostage and you've got impossible odds and someone ends up dead. On every mission, your life in on the line." Kakashi finally released Sasuke who looked down, utterly embarrassed for being humbled as Kakashi walked to a large blue stone not too far from them.

"Did you look at this stone? The names engraved on it? They are all ninja who are honored as heroes in our village." Kakashi stated as Team Konohamaru's eyes widened in realization.

"Yeah, I've heard of that! The Hidden Leaf Memorial Stone!" Sarada pointed out.

"Lord Jiraiya was put on there! Dad took me there after my whole big trip to the past…" Boruto looked down as Naruto grinned broadly.

"That's it then! Now I know! I've decided I'm going to have my name engraved on that stone! I'm not going to live and die for nothing like a dog! I'm gonna be a hero! One big hero!" Naruto grinned as Sakura scowled at Naruto for how insensitive he was being while Sasuke spared Naruto a sympathetic glance, realizing he probably didn't even know the real meaning behind it.

"He does know they were all killed in service for the village, right?" Mitsuki asked.

"Of course not." Boruto deadpanned as Kakashi repressed a sigh, knowing full well Naruto didn't understand exactly why they were on the Memorial Stone.

"They are…a special kind of hero." Kakashi looked back at Naruto who only grinned wider.

"What kind of heroes are they? C'mon, tell us!" Naruto grinned as Kakashi looked down, no doubt remembering horrible losses and tragedies throughout his life.

"…They are KIA…" Kakashi solemnly answered as Team Konohamaru looked at Kakashi's back with expressions full of empathy.

"….Well that explains things…." Sarada frowned.

"And from what I've heard, the scar on Kakashi's eye came from a mission where he ended up losing his best friend…" Boruto looked down as Mitsuki was silent.

"Oh? That sounds real cool!" Naruto grinned as it was Boruto's turn to have second hand embarrassment from his parent.

"Dad…" Boruto sighed as Sakura shot Naruto a look of pity as she quickly deduced Naruto had no idea what the acronym of KIA actually meant.

"It means 'killed in action'. They're all dead." Sakura pointed out as the excitement in Naruto's faced literally drained away into a sorrowful frown.

"…At the very least, at least he's not on there…" Boruto tried joking though no one laughed.

"This is a memorial stone. The names of my closest friends are engraved here…" Kakashi stated in a voice where it looked like he was barely holding back tears.

"Oh man….I wonder what happened to them…." Boruto found himself slightly curious at what happened to Kakashi's old friends.

"Given from what I've heard that he was alive during the Third Great Ninja War, it's curious he lost them during then." Sarada deduced as Mitsuki was still silent.

Team Seven shot Kakashi looks of empathy before he shook his head. After all, that was in the past and not was what was relevant right now.

"Alright, I'm going to give you one more chance but I'm going to make it much harder on you. You'll have three hours to get a bell." Kakashi began as the team looked stunned at him.

"So I guess this must be when they passed." Mitsuki said.

"I guess so." Boruto curled his arms.

"Eat lunch now to build up strength but Naruto doesn't get any." Kakashi stated as Naruto tensed.

"Serves him right." Boruto sniggered.

"It's your punishment for breaking the rules and trying to eat by yourself. And…if anyone tries to feed him then that person will immediately fail." Kakashi stated as neither Sasuke nor Sakura looked pleased at the conditions of their new rules, whether it was because of how higher the stakes could be or rather it was cruel for them to go into battle with full stomachs while Naruto would go hungry was unclear.

"I make the rules. You follow them. Got it?" Kakashi asked before body flickering away.

"I've got it!" Boruto announced as Sarada nearly fell on her bottom.

"Okay first of all, don't scream so loud! Secondly, what did you get?" Sarada asked.

"It's not so much of them getting a bell but to see if the both of them will get over their pride and feed dad." Boruto said, remembering Kakashi's words about teamwork not too long ago.

"You're right…but the question is….will they do it?" Sarada asked.

"Of course but it's just a question of how and when." Mitsuki said as Sasuke and Sakura began digging into their lunch boxes before Naruto's stomach literally cut them off from eating as it growled loudly and hungrily.

"This is no big deal! I can go without eating for days, for weeks! Believe it! This is no big de-"Naruto tried spitting out bravado before his stomach cut him off with another growl as he looked down in shame and in hungry.

"No…problem…" Naruto muttered ashamed.

"Really? Because your stomach says otherwise." Boruto dryly said before a boxed lunch was handed right in front of him.

"Here." Sasuke offered Naruto his boxed lunch.

"Uncle Sasuke?" Boruto asked as Sarada and Mitsuki smiled.

"And this must be when they passed…" Sarada happily gasped though Naruto and Sakura didn't share her happiness but were shocked and horrified respectively.

"What? No Sasuke, you can't do that. You heard what the sensei said." Sakura tried reminding her teammate who looked unfazed as his mind was set on his decision.

"Kakashi's gone. We need to get those bells as a team. If Naruto's hungry, he'll be weak and ineffective. That hurts the team and jeopardizes the mission." Sasuke softly stated as Naruto looked taken aback by Sasuke's token of generosity while Team Konohamaru smiled at how selfless Sasuke was being.

"Now that's the Uncle Sasuke I know!" Boruto grinned as he was starting to turn into the Sasuke he knew and loved.

"I'll say." Sarada smiled her agreement as Sakura looked at her boxed lunch before presenting it to Naruto who looked teary-eyed at the love of his life offering him her food as she smiled warmly at him.

"…Okay…thanks…" Naruto was about to start sobbing as Sakura had to fight to roll her eyes at how overdramatic Naruto was being.

"What a dork!" Boruto snickered.

"Yeah, I can't help but wonder what made him end up with Miss Hinata." Sarada laughed, wanting to see that particular memory.

"Don't thank me, just hurry up and eat." Sakura said as Naruto looked a bit remorseful about taking Sakura's lunch. Sure Sasuke offered him his but Sakura was higher on Naruto's totem pole of Naruto's important people.

"But isn't that your lunch?" Naruto asked as Sakura seemed to be starting to regret offering Naruto her food.

"Uh…I'm on a diet…I mean I don't eat as much as Sasuke so uh…just take it Naruto!" Sakura yelled as Naruto gestured to his ropes.

"I can't take it…because I can't move my hands…so….you've got to feed me!" Naruto said as Sakura's brow twitched at the thought of doing so.

"Huh!?" Sakura yelled.

"She looks just excited to do so." Mitsuki chuckled.

"As excited as hit in the face with a rock." Boruto muttered as Sasuke looked around before being quick to remind Sakura what was at stake.

"Hurry up. He could come back any minute." Sasuke quickly reminded Sakura who growled as she was ready to shove her lunch box in Naruto's face.

"This is one time only….That's it! I will never do this again, is that clear!?" Sakura demanded.

"How very generous." Boruto rolled his eyes though Naruto was unfazed with Sakura's anger.

"Clear as a bell, Sakura." Naruto grinned as he happily accepted the food from Sakura's lunch box as this was the closest he felt to heaven, having the love of his life feed him while Sakura looked ready to gouge out his eyes with her chopsticks.

However, before Naruto could get any more food, a cloud of smoke covered the field, revealing a very irate Kakashi.

"YOU!" Kakashi growled as a gust of wind erupted around the three, nearly sending all three Genin skidding back.

"And he looks just happy!" Boruto yelled, just wondering what was going to happen now.

"What's wrong with him!?" Sarada was taken aback at how abrasive Kakashi was being as she had never seen Kakashi so scary.

"You broke the rules, I hope you're ready for the punishment." Kakashi glared at the three as he ran through several hand-signs as a thunderstorm was apparently summoned as the skies and clouds above darkened.

"Is he trying to kill them!? What's the point in all of this?" Boruto demanded as Mitsuki appeared to be the only one unfazed at all of what was happening.

"Once again, he's trying to make a point. Or just…show off." Mitsuki chuckled as Sarada sighed.

"Kakashi-Sensei is just a weirdo…." Sarada grunted as Naruto and Sakura were trembling in fear as Naruto gritted his teeth nervously."

"B-but you said…" Naruto stuttered out as Kakashi turned his glare to the orange clad ninja.

"Yes?" Kakashi tilted his head, curious as to what Naruto would say now that their ninja careers were apparently in the gutter.

"You said there were three of us! That's what you said! And that's why Sakura and-"Naruto started off.

"We're all on this squad and we're all in this together!" Sasuke added in support of Naruto.

"Yeah that's right! We gave our lunch to him because the three of us are one!" Sakura spat as Team Konohamaru could hardly believe their eyes. Was this the same Team Seven they had seen not even ten minutes ago?

"…It looks like they finally got it." Boruto smiled.

"Indeed." Mitsuki smiled though Kakashi looked unimpressed with their answers as he tilted his head back.

"The three of you are one? That's your answer?" Kakashi asked as Team Seven all glared defiantly at him before he suddenly smiled before saying the following words, "You pass!"

"Whomp, there it is!" Boruto grinned though Team Seven looked just confused and lost for words.

"…H-huh?" Naruto asked.

"What do you mean? How did we pass?" Sakura asked as the cloud skies slowly cleared revealing the once beautiful afternoon it once was.

"You're the first squad that ever succeeded. The others did exactly what I said and fell into every trap. They couldn't think for themselves. 'A ninja must see through deception'. In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum, that's true. But those who abandon their friends are worst than scum." Kakashi explained as Team Konohamaru smiled in agreement while Team Seven had clearly gained a newfound respect for the scarecrow lookalike.

"As stated by our lord and savior Kakashi." Mitsuki joked.

"Aww, dad looks like he's gonna start crying." Boruto snickered at his dad's teary-eyed expression.

"Well he's finally seen firsthand of what a ninja should be like." Sarada smiled at Naruto.

"H-he's you know….kind of cool…." Naruto muttered in awe as Sakura smiled while even Sasuke managed a small smile.

"The exercise is over. Everyone passes. Squad Seven starts its first mission tomorrow!" Kakashi declared giving his team a thumbs up along with a real genuine smile under his mask.

"Yes! They really did it!" Boruto and Sarada exclaimed hugging each other happily before they immediately realized in disgust what they did as Sarada pushed off Boruto harshly.

"Keep your hands off me, perv!" Sarada yelled with her nostrils flaring.

"I can say the same to you!" Boruto spat back as Mitsuki easily got in between the two.

"Now now." The mediator of Team Konohamaru broke the two up.

"Yes!" Sakura cheered as she jumped up and down.

"Yes! I did it! I'm a ninja, ninja, ninja!" Naruto cheered flailing his arms and legs around while even though he wasn't as joyful as the two, Sasuke still had a satisfied expression on his face.

"Let's go home." Kakashi said as everyone soon followed after him, retrieving their bags and looking forward to the upcoming future of their ninja careers.

Or rather…mostly everyone….

"Ugh! I knew they'd do this! It happens every time believe it!" Naruto yelled as Boruto, Mitsuki and even Sarada all laughed at Naruto's plight.

"They actually forgot him!? That's messed up in so many ways!" Sarada wiped a tear from her eye.

"What did I say before?" Mitsuki cheesily grinned.

"That this was the most entertaining memory we've seen so far." Boruto snickered.

"Something tells me there are gonna be even funnier memories the further we go down the road." Sarada managed to calm down while Naruto looked ready to breathe fire.

"YOU GUYS FORGOT TO UNTIE ME!" Naruto yelled as the bluish-purplish foggy-mist enveloped around the memory before it darkened…ending the memory of how Team Seven was formed.

* * *

As I type and upload this chapter, I can hardly believe we're reaching ten chapters! Huh…it feels like it was only yesterday when I uploaded the prologue to this story!

Which reminds me, just know I already have the last chapter to this story already typed up! Huh…kinda feels like Oda in that regard XP

Oh speaking of, as I've typed this chapter and went back to old episodes to get all the dialogue for the memories used in this chapter and even the last couple of ones, it's kind of surreal with how far the animation has come from the OG Naruto days to where we are in Shippuden as well as Boruto.

Which brings me to my question for you guys:

Which OST do you all prefer? The OG Naruto, Shippuden or Boruto's?

With that all being said and done, I will see you all in Chapter 9 coming March 11th! ^_^

Until then, kindly stay beautiful! ^_^


	9. A New Journey! To the Land of Waves!

Hard to believe we're coming up on ten chapters of this story! It feels like it was only yesterday when I first started this story and with the right amount of time, this story will eventually reach its conclusion since I already have the last chapter of this story typed up and it's just sitting on my hard drive waiting to be published! When will we reach the ending of this story? God only knows.

Now with all that said, let the chapter begin already! ^_^

* * *

"So that's how one big happy family was born." Mitsuki chuckled as the mist faded around the memory, leaving Team Konohamaru in the literal dark.

"It's funny. They all failed the test miserably yet came out passing it in the end." Sarada mused.

"Yeah but sure they found out the meaning of the test a bit late but at least it wasn't too late." Boruto reminded Sarada.

"You're right but I just wonder what would've happened if dad and mom didn't give Lord Seventh their food?" Sarada appeared deep in thought.

"It's a bit too late to dwell on what ifs." Mitsuki reminded the Uchiha.

As if to back up Mitsuki's point, the bluish-purplish foggy mist suddenly enveloped the three before they found themselves in the middle of a forest.

"Huh? I wonder what we're doing all the way out here." Boruto asked.

As if to answer his question, the sound of bustling footsteps rang through the forest as familiar streaks of blue, orange and red zipped past Team Konohamaru.

"And I think we're about to find out." Mitsuki mused as it was obvious Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura were on a mission of sorts.

"Follow them!" Sarada ordered as the three genin followed the younger versions of Team Seven as they all lunged at a small, shadowy figure before Naruto was able to catch it and grip it tightly.

"I got him! I got him!" Naruto grinned triumphantly as the "small, shadowy figure" was revealed to be none other than a lost, stray cat with a red ribbon on its ear.

"So that's their mission, huh? Playing lost and found with a cat?" Boruto snickered, remembering their mission to subdue a panda bear on the loose.

"I think it's kind of cute." Sarada giggled as the cat was scratching on Naruto's face though neither Sasuke nor Sakura looked all that interested in helping Naruto as Sakura was having a laugh at Naruto's expense while Sasuke was preoccupied with talking to Kakashi on the radio ear piece he had on his ear.

"Can you verify ribbon, right ear?" The voice of Kakashi rang through Sasuke's ear piece.

"Affirmative. We got a positive ID." Sasuke confirmed to Kakashi.

"Right, lost pet Tora captured. Mission Accomplished." Kakashi said with satisfaction evident in his voice before Naruto decided to speak and give his two cents.

"Can't we get a better mission than this!? I hate cats!" Naruto yelled through the radio.

"….I hope Kakashi-Sensei didn't go deaf from that…" Sarada muttered, cringing at how loud Naruto yelled through his radio as she could only imagine the agony that Kakashi's poor ear drums were in.

"Can't blame him." Boruto shrugged as the team made their way back to the Ninja Academy where they returned the lost cat to the wife of the Fire Feudal Lord. Although Team Konohamaru felt as much sympathy for Tora as they could while they watched him practically getting smothered by the huge woman.

"…I feel so bad for that cat." Boruto cringed as he thought that his mother had given hard, tight hugs.

"At least we know why it ran away." Mitsuki chuckled as Naruto shared in Mitsuki's amusement.

"Haha, stupid cat! That kitty deserves to be squashed!" Naruto snickered at Tora's expense as the other members of Team Seven actually looked horrified for Tora.

"No wonder he ran away…." Sakura muttered with sympathy evident in her voice as Hiruzen looked over a slip of paper while no doubt trying to decide what the next mission for Team Seven would be.

"Now then, for Squad Seven's next mission, we have several available tasks. Among them, babysitting the chief counselor's three year old, helping his wife do the shopping, digging up potatoes and-"Hiruzen tried reading off a list of possible tasks that Team Seven could do but a certain blonde knucklehead was clearly having none of it.

"No! I want to go on a real mission! Something challenging and exciting! Not this little kid stuff!" Naruto spat with crossed arms.

"I can't really blame him." Boruto found himself agreeing with his father while Sarada rubbed her forehead in slight annoyance.

"I'd wonder how they'd do on some of the missions that we received." Sarada asked, more to herself than her teammate.

While Sasuke and Sakura's faces showed irritation, internally they were agreeing whole-heartedly with Naruto while Kakashi shot Hiruzen a sympathetic, apologetic look.

Naturally, Naruto's rudeness didn't sit well with Iruka who immediately rose to his feet in rage.

"How dare you!? You're just a brand-new Genin with no experience! Like everyone else, you start with simple missions to develop your skills and prove yourself!" Iruka scolded Naruto for his rude, loud outburst who didn't look the least remorseful for being rude. Rather this seemed to ignite Naruto's blunt, persona even more.

"Are you serious!? Babysitting's not a mission! It's just a stupid-!" Naruto tried arguing back before a punch to his skull shut him up completely as he was sent falling to the floor in a comical heap, making him clench his sore noggin in pain.

"Will you put a lid on it?" Kakashi asked, him being the one who clocked Naruto's skull.

"Can't say he didn't deserve it." Boruto said with apathy towards his father's plight evident in his voice.

"Naruto! It seems you do not understand the tasks you have been given. Listen, many different kinds of requests come into our village every day, from babysitting to assassinations." Hiruzen put his pipe down while gesturing to the different mission scrolls scattered across the table that he and Iruka were sitting at.

"These requests are carefully recorded, analyzed and then ranked A, B, C or D, depending on their difficulty. We ninja are also ranked by ability-Hokage at the top, Jonin, Chunin and Genin at the bottom. At the highest level, we select the missions and assign them to ninja who have the appropriate skills and experience. And if the mission is successful we receive a fee that supports the village and our work. Since you are untried Genin just starting down the Shinobi path, you are given D-level assignments, of course." Hiruzen explained to the Genin before his eyes widened and his face burned when he realized no one, not even Kakashi, was paying him any attention.

"So I had this tonkotsu ramen yesterday and-"Naruto was busy relaying the details of a ramen experience he had to his team.

"Silence!" Hiruzen yelled as Team Konohamaru snickered at Hiruzen's anger.

"I think they're more interested in Lord Seventh's ramen adventures than listening to Lord Third." Mitsuki laughed.

"Okay I can see Auntie Sakura being slightly interested but Uncle Sasuke and Old Man Kakashi?"Boruto grinned as Kakashi at least had the decency to look at least slightly embarrassed and remorseful for ignoring the Hokage.

"Oh, sorry." Kakashi sheepishly rubbed the back of his head as he apologized to Hiruzen.

Naruto, on the other hand, had no remorse for his actions but rather faced the old Hokage with a face of utter defiance on his face.

"Ugh! You always lecture me like you're my grandfather or something! But I'm not the little brat who used to pull pranks all the time. I'm a ninja now and I want a ninja mission! Hmph!" Naruto turned his back to the Hokage with a childish pout on his face as he crossed his arms.

Team Konohamaru looked at Naruto with faces full of amusement and amazement.

"It's so funny seeing dad acting like that when he'll be like Old Man Third in like twenty years." Boruto snickered.

"And you're Lord Seventh in the past." Sarada snorted at Boruto's reaction.

"Hey! I have more tact than him at least!" Boruto yelled.

"Boruto is right about that." Mitsuki added in support of his friend as Sarada merely shook her head at the two.

"Birds of a feather really flock together." Sarada mused as Kakashi rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment at Naruto's embarrassment.

"I'm definitely going to hear about this later…" Kakashi groaned as he was no doubt anticipating a hard tongue lashing from Hiruzen and even Iruka at the end of this meeting.

However rather than being irate at Naruto's disrespectful attitude, Iruka and even Hiruzen chuckled good-heartedly as they seemed to be inspired by Naruto's words.

"Naruto wants us to know that he's not a brat but a former brat and he wants a mission. So be it." Hiruzen smiled as he put his pipe to his mouth getting surprised looks from the Genin in the room.

"Guess we'll be finally getting to the good stuff now." Boruto grinned, eager to see what kind of mission that Team Seven would get.

"Since you are so determined, I'm going to give you a C-ranked mission. You'll be bodyguards on a journey." Hiruzen smiled as Naruto's look immediately perked up as he hastily turned around while restraining himself from literally latching onto Hiruzen and giving him a huge, grateful hug.

"Bodyguards, huh?" Sarada asked.

"I wonder who?" Boruto also asked.

"Really!? Yes! Who? Who? Are we guarding a princess!? Or some counselor!?" Naruto broadly grinned as Hiruzen's smile only widened.

"Don't be so impatient. I will bring him in now. Send in our visitor." Hiruzen ordered as the door opened behind him revealing a bespectacled middle aged man whose eyes were dazed with a light flush around his cheeks.

"What the? A bunch of little snot-nosed kids?" The man slurred as it was obvious that he was clearly intoxicated.

"Well I can see he's definitely a hard party drinker." Mitsuki joked as Boruto shared his amusement while Sarada didn't.

"It can't be beyond Ten AM here." Sarada noted, looking at the sun in the sky.

"He's probably hung over from a party he had last night." Boruto snickered as the man diverted his eye over to where Naruto was.

"And you, the little one with the idiotic look on your face. You really expect me to believe you're a ninja?" The man jeered at Naruto as he was obviously unaware that the diss was aimed at him as he laughed.

"Hey who's the little one with the idiotic look on his face?" Naruto asked Sasuke and Sakura before it was obvious who the shortest one between the three was.

Naturally Naruto had tried to pulverize the rude old man but he was restrained by Kakashi who had to hold him back by grabbing his huge white collar.

"I'll demolish you! Lemme get my hands on him, I'll destroy him!" Naruto roared as Sasuke looked down in embarrassment while Sakura rubbed her forehead in obvious frustration.

"You can't demolish the client Naruto, it doesn't work that way." Kakashi reminded his student with obvious irritation in his voice as it seemed as if he was starting to regret his earlier in decision in letting Naruto pass.

"Kinda the same with you, huh Boruto?" Sarada grinned at Naruto as he looked at the Uchiha in confusion.

"Whaddaya mean?" Boruto asked.

"Well you're the small fry out of us." Mitsuki smiled as Boruto's cheeks burned in embarrassment.

"No I'm not!" Boruto growled as Sarada smirked at Boruto.

"And how tall are you again?" Sarada smugly crossed her arms as Boruto lost his anger as he looked down in shame.

"…..145 cm…" Boruto answered.

"And I'm 147 cm." Sarada smugly grinned.

"And I'm 149 cm." Mitsuki smiled as Boruto glared at his teammates.

"Oh shut up! I may be shorter than you two for now but I'll get taller than you two, someday!" Boruto growled out.

"Yeah that'll be the day." Sarada snickered as Boruto turned back to the memory, obviously pissed but not looking to get into a battle of the wits with his teammates as the old man finally decided to introduce himself.

"I am Tazuna, a master bridge builder and I must return to my country. I'm building a bridge there that will change our world and I expect you to get me there safely, even if it means giving up your lives." The man known as Tazuna bluntly stated as Sakura looked slightly taken aback as Kakashi was silent while Naruto and even Sasuke looked excited at the idea of getting an actual ninja mission instead of dumb kiddy work.

"Giving up their lives? Looks like we're getting into the real meat of things." Boruto smirked, excited to see what was gonna happen.

"I'll say." Sarada agreed as the team eventually went to their homes and got their necessary equipment ready before finally rendezvousing at the village gates before Naruto was quick to jump up and down with an excited cheer.

"Yeah! Alright!" Naruto grinned as he was jumping up and down excitedly.

"What are you getting so excited about, Naruto?" Sakura asked with annoyance at how any one person could be so full of energy all the time.

"This is the first time I've ever left the village! I'm a traveler now, believe it!" Naruto eagerly ran around as he looked the equivalent of a child on a sugar rush after eating a lot of sugary candy.

"Someone's excited." Mitsuki smiled at Naruto's enthusiasm.

"Are we sure he didn't drink a crap load of coffee before leaving the village?" Boruto snorted as Sarada paled at the thought of Naruto as a kid drinking coffee.

"Hey, do not put that image in my head!" Sarada cringed at the thought of Naruto drinking coffee. It would definitely spell the end of the Leaf Village if that ever happened…..

Tazuna however didn't share Naruto's excitement as he turned to Kakashi in annoyance at Naruto's energy while Sasuke and Sakura looked relatively embarrassed with their teammate.

"Hey, am I supposed to trust my life to this runt? He's a joke!" Tazuna bluntly stated to Kakashi.

"Runt, huh? I'd love to see dad prove this jerk wrong." Boruto glared at Tazuna.

"Well from what he's seen of Lord Seventh so far, logically he would assume that Lord Seventh is just some loud mouthed brat that's more bark than bite." Mitsuki explained as Sarada crossed her arms sternly.

"I know but you shouldn't judge a book by its cover." Sarada argued as logically Tazuna's statement about Naruto being a joke didn't sit well with the young Genin before deciding not to let Tazuna get to him as he turned to him with a sharp pointing finger and a bright, confident smile.

"Hey! Never insult a ninja, it's a big mistake! And I'm one of the greatest ninja ever! Someday I'm gonna be a Hokage and you'll look up to me! My name's Naruto Uzumaki, remember it!" Naruto spat as Boruto grinned.

"You tell him." Boruto smiled though the look on Tazuna's face showed he was anything but impressed.

"Hmph, hokage? Hokage and powerful and wise. You are puny and brainless. The day you become Hokage, I'll sprout wings and fly." Tazuna scoffed as a tick mark appeared on Naruto's head.

"Ugh! Shut up! I'm willing to do anything to become Hokage, no matter what it takes! And when I do, everyone will have to admit it that I'm the top ninja, including you!" Naruto spat back at the old man as he was getting tired of this old geezer looking down on him.

"Hmph! You can become Hokage ten times over and to me you'll still be nobody, a loser." Tazuna scoffed before walking off as Naruto had to be restrained by Kakashi again from pummeling the old fart.

"Well he seems just pleasant to have around." Sarada rolled her eyes.

"Ten Ryo he'll be changing his tune on dad by the end of this arc." Boruto scoffed with good-nature.

"I'll bet you twenty." Mitsuki grinned.

"Deal." Boruto smiled as the two shook hands as Sarada stared at the two in disbelief.

"Gambling over someone's opinion on Lord Seventh? You two are insane." Sarada shook her head as once Naruto was calmed down, Team Seven began walking to their destination of Tazuna's hometown.

"Say, Mr. Tazuna?" Sakura turned to the old man.

"What is it?" Tazuna asked, thankfully putting the booze down.

"Your country is the Land of Waves, right?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah. What of it?" Tazuna asked back as Sakura turned to her sensei.

"Kakashi-Sensei, there are ninja in that country too, aren't there?" Sakura questioned.

"No because it's not a ninja village that needs Shinobi protection like the Leaf and Sand village." Mitsuki said.

"Right, we knew that." Boruto nodded as Sarada also nodded her assent.

"No, there are no ninja in the Land of Waves. But in other countries there are hidden villages each with their own different customs and cultures where ninja reside. To the people of this continent, the existence of Shinobi means strength, military strength. In other words, that's how they protect themselves and maintain the balance of power with neighboring countries. The ninja villages are not controlled by any government. They're independent and have equal status. Now, a small island like the Land of Waves has natural protection from the sea so there's no need for a ninja village. The five ancient lands that possess Shinobi villages are the Lands of Fire, Water, Lightning, Wind and Earth. They each occupy vast territories and together they are known as the five great Shinobi nations. The Land of Fire has the Village Hidden in the Leaves, the Land of Water, the Village Hidden in the Mist; the Land of Lightning, the Village Hidden in the Clouds; the Land of Wind, the Village Hidden in the Sand; and the Land of Earth, the Village Hidden in the Stone. Only the leaders of these hidden villages are permitted the name Kage which means 'Shadow'. Hokage, Mizukage, Raikage, Kazekage, Tsuchikage. These are the five leaders, the five shadows that reign over thousands of ninja." Kakashi finished as Team Seven digested this information.

"In other words, the Ninja World is a big ass freaking place." Boruto snorted.

"In a nutshell as you would say." Mitsuki laughed.

"Then Lord Hokage's really important!" Sakura beamed though the infliction in her voice betrayed her as Naruto crossed his arms before Team Konohamaru saw a flash of all the times Naruto goaded Hiruzen with his Sexy Jutsu in addition to all the pranks he would pull from under his nose.

"Oh mom." Sarada sighed, feeling second hand embarrassment. To think her mom was this embarrassing when she was Sarada's age?

"You can tell she's faking it." Boruto snickered.

"Hey! You all just doubted Lord Hokage, didn't you? That's what you were thinking!" Kakashi sharply noted to his students as they, or rather Naruto and Sakura, tensed nervously while Sasuke stayed as cool as a leaf.

"Busted!" Boruto laughed as Sakura and Naruto vigorously shook their heads.

"U-uh no!" Naruto and Sakura lied to their teeth as it was obvious Kakashi didn't believe them for a second.

"Well anyways, there are no ninja battles in a C-Ranked mission so you can relax." Kakashi reassured his team as Sakura seemed convinced while Naruto was unconvinced.

"And we won't run into any foreign ninja?" Sakura asked hopefully.

"Not likely." Kakashi smiled as Sasuke and Tazuna turned to the side, obviously noting something however they said nothing as the team continued their walking to the Land of Waves.

However Team Konohamaru were quick to note a puddle on the long, winding dirt road that the team were walking upon.

"Wait a second, a puddle? What's a puddle doing in the middle of the road?" Boruto asked.

"Not to mention it can't be past Spring or at the very least beginning of Summer in this memory?" Sarada noted as Mitsuki's eyes narrowed.

"Something's coming." Mitsuki said.

And right as he did so, a mysterious person launched himself from the puddle followed by another person before they suddenly grabbed and restrained Kakashi with what appeared to be chains coming out of what appeared to be some kind of a gauntlet.

"Oh shit! Old Man Kakashi!" Boruto yelled.

"Do a body flicker or something!" Sarada yelled to the memory version of Kakashi.

"Huh!?" Sakura nearly fell back in fear.

"What!?" Naruto asked as Sasuke and Tazuna could stare in shock at how things escalated from zero to a hundred fairly quickly.

"Do it!" One of the ninja yelled as he and his brother squeezed Kakashi before his body practically broke apart, sending bits and pieces of his body parts scattering all over the place.

"Holy shit! I know he survived and all but damn…" Boruto noted, never seen anything so brutal on his own time as a ninja.

"Where is he?" Sarada asked, wondering where Kakashi could be.

However those in the memory had no idea about Kakashi's obvious survival as Sakura screamed in fear while Naruto looked lost for words for one of the few moments in his life while Sasuke and Tazuna were speechless at such a violent death. Or so they thought.

"K-Kakashi-Sensei!" Naruto yelled as Team Konohamaru noticed tears come to the young boy's eyes. However he didn't have time to be shocked for long before he felt the two sinister figures sweep up right behind him.

"And you're next!" The other of the ninja grinned as Naruto was practically frozen in place.

"Dad!" Boruto yelled before stopping himself, remembering that his dad survived. After all, how else could he be here today?

"Why doesn't he do anything?" Sarada asked not used to seeing Naruto look so…helpless and scared.

"It's because this is a step up from the mundane kiddy missions he was so used to doing. This is the first mission where his life is at risk…." Mitsuki explained, remembering his first mission with Log and Orochimaru all those years ago.

Before the rogue ninja could act upon bisecting Naruto into bits and pieces like they did Kakashi, Sasuke took the initiative and jumped above before using a Shuriken to bury one of the chains in the tree behind him followed by using a Shuriken to hold the chain in place.

"Nice one!" Sarada nearly cheered like a fangirl. Then again she was Sasuke's daughter so she had every right to.

"Thanks, Uncle Sasuke." Boruto breathed a sigh of relief as Sasuke jumped on the gauntlets of the two, holding them in place.

"I can't get loose!" One of the rogue ninja growled out in frustration at having been stopped from killing Naruto by this pint sized little squirt.

However, undeterred, they broke apart from their chains as one of the ninja charged Tazuna while the other charged Naruto.

The ninja charging Naruto had actually succeeded in hurting Naruto as he managed to cut the palm of Naruto's hand, making him fall back in pain.

"Ugh!" Naruto groaned in pain as he clutched his aching, bleeding hand.

"Oh no, dad! Where the hell is Kakashi!?" Boruto yelled.

"Yeah where is he!? I don't know what mom can do against these guys since she's not a medical ninja yet!" Sarada bit her lip as Sakura took a protective stance in front of Tazuna, intending on not letting Tazuna die.

However Sasuke took a defensive step and got between Sakura and the ninja but before the rogue ninja could get close, out came an alive Kakashi who body handled and two rogue ninja as he held them by their throats in his arms.

"Well he's finally here now." Boruto smiled.

"But what the hell took him!?" Sarada growled, upset at the fact that if he had arrived any later, she and Boruto might not be here right now watching these memories.

"K-Kakashi-Sensei!" Naruto exclaimed in both shock and relief that his new teacher wasn't cold cuts.

"Hi, there." Kakashi smiled through his eyes.

"Kakashi-Sensei, he's alive!" Sakura joyfully exclaimed while Sasuke didn't share his teammates' excitement, rather he looked kind of miffed.

"Show off." Sasuke muttered with an irritated look on his face.

"I think he's jealous he couldn't save the day!" Sarada giggled.

"Probably." Mitsuki grinned as Naruto turned to see where the "body" of Kakashi was lay a bundle of wood branches.

"Naruto, sorry I didn't help you right away. I didn't mean for you to get hurt but I just didn't think you'd freeze up like that." Kakashi apologized as Naruto gave a slow nod to his sensei but he still looked a bit shaken by what happened.

"That apology wouldn't have meant much if he arrived three seconds later." Sarada replied, still a bit annoyed that Kakashi made a risky decision like that.

"Poor dad, though. He looks shaken up…" Boruto frowned as that was the exact same facial expression he had when Naruto attacked him in his one-tailed state.

"Well it couldn't be helped. With the low jutsu in his arsenal coupled with the surprise aspect of the attack, Lord Seventh was as helpless as an Academy student here." Mitsuki explained with a bit of sympathy towards Naruto's direction.

"Yeah I know but it still feels so weird…seeing dad freeze up like that." Boruto said.

"Well look at it this way, eventually Lord Seventh finds his wind of courage in these memories." Sarada smiled as Boruto smiled a grateful smile back to her.

"Right." Boruto smiled.

"Although I wonder, why would a ninja attack them on a C-Ranked mission? Unless there's more to the story?" Boruto asked turning his eye to Tazuna who looked both relieved yet like he was hiding something.

"There's definitely more to the story here." Mitsuki nodded.

"And we're gonna find out what." Sarada said with the utmost certainty as Kakashi made his way to the rest of his team.

"Good job, Sasuke. Very smooth. You too, Sakura." Kakashi congratulated his team while Sakura smiled as Sasuke merely nodded.

It was then as Naruto shook his head as he looked right at Sasuke.

"I was useless! And Sasuke was so cool like he'd done this a thousand times. Didn't he feel scared at all? He looked so calm, not a scratch on him and I was so lame. He had to come up and save me. Ugh! Why can't I keep up with them!?" Naruto asked to himself.

"Poor dad…it must suck…having your rival show up and practically steal your thunder from you while you were helpless would no doubt be a blow to anyone's pride…" Boruto softly said.

"I wonder…who's the stronger between Lord Seventh and dad now?" Sarada pensively thought.

"It would be interesting to see a battle between them now. Especially seeing them as children." Mitsuki stated.

"Hey." Sasuke looked at Naruto's direction.

"Y-yeah?" Naruto asked, startled at being taken out of his inner monologue to himself.

"You're not hurt are you, scaredy cat?" Sasuke smirked as Sarada sighed.

"Does he really have to antagonize him?" Sarada face-palmed.

"Well given their relationship right now, he probably still looks down on Lord Seventh and to see him look like a deer in headlights when he did all that boasting about being stronger than him would amuse Mister Sasuke." Mitsuki stated matter of factly.

"Yeah but to be a complete dick about it…" Boruto said though he felt kind of hypocritical in saying that.

Naturally this didn't sit well with Naruto as he clenched his fists while his jaw clenched tight in anger. To be belittled by Sasuke Uchiha of all people was nothing short of infuriating to him.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled as he was about to charge him before the voice of Kakashi stopped him.

"Naruto! Stand still. These ninja have poison in their claws. We need to take it out of you immediately. You have to open the wound and remove it. It's in your blood so don't move around. That spreads the poison." Kakashi reminded Naruto who looked at his wound in frustration.

"Right. He needs to get that poison out ASAP." Boruto said.

"By the way, Mr Tazuna?" Kakashi turned his head to the old man.

"Yeah, what?" Tazuna nearly fell back as Kakashi's eye to him turned stern.

"We need to talk." Kakashi's eye narrowed before the two rogue ninja who attacked Team Seven and Tazuna were restrained and tied to a nearby tree.

"They're Chunin from the Village Hidden in the Mist. Their specialty is relentless attack. They keep fighting, no matter what the sacrifice." Kakashi explained to his team about the identity of the two ninja who attacked them.

"The Village Hidden in the Mist…man that takes me back…." Boruto's eyes softened as he thought back to his friend, Kagura. How was Kagura doing these days?

"Although that reminds me of that whole drama with Shizuma…man that was a pickle…" Sarada murmured.

"Thankfully we all came out of that whole scenario stronger for it." Mitsuki smiled while the rogue ninja glared at Kakashi.

"How did you know about our ambush?" One of the ninja stared at Kakashi with blazing eyes full of hatred as Kakashi looked undeterred with their hatred.

"A puddle on a clear day when it hasn't rained in weeks?" Kakashi asked.

"Yep. That's way too fishy to ignore." Sarada nodded in agreement.

"In that case, why'd you leave it for the Genin to do the fighting?" Tazuna turned to Kakashi in confusion.

"I could've taken them out quickly but then I'd have learned nothing. I had to know who their target was and what they were after." Kakashi gave Tazuna a very stern glare as Tazuna took a step back at being confronted in this way.

"Huh? What are you getting at?" Tazuna asked as Kakashi turned to face Kakashi all the way directly.

"This. I wanted to know if they were after us, ninja attacking ninja or if they were after you, the master bridge builder. When you put in your request, you asked for standard protection from robbers and highway men. You didn't say there were ninja looking for you, hunting you down. If we knew this, it would be a B-rank mission or higher. Our task was simply to get you to your destination and protect you while you finished building your bridge. If we knew we'd be fielding attacks from enemy ninja, we would have staffed differently and charged for the cost of a B mission. Apparently you have your reasons, but lying to us is not acceptable. We are now beyond the scope of this mission." Kakashi explained to Tazuna with a seemingly blank expression though his tone was demanding an explanation from the master bridge builder who looked down in shame.

"At their level, this mission is simply too much for them." Sarada pointed out.

"Yeah, so why would he lie?" Boruto turned to Tazuna.

"We are genin and this is too advanced for our level of training. We should go back and I really think we need to treat Naruto's wound and get the poison out as soon as possible." Sakura weakly smiled at Kakashi, realizing just how much in danger her and her teammates' lives were potentially in now.

"Back in our village, we can take him to a doctor. Naruto's hand could become a problem so I guess we should go back to the village." Kakashi stated.

"That would be the wise course of action since Miss Sakura isn't a medical ninja yet and Lady Tsunade is nowhere around." Mitsuki nodded as Naruto turned to his teacher in outrage at such a request as he growled and clenched his teeth before suddenly pulling out a kunai from his weapon holder and before anyone knew anything he thrust the weapon into his infected palm.

Everyone, both in and out of the memory, stared at Naruto in shock save for Mitsuki.

"That idiot! What the hell is he doing!?" Boruto was ready to rip his hair out at his father's recklessness. Why was his dad such an idiot as a kid?

"He's getting the poison out while apparently making a statement." Mitsuki calmly explained.

"Okay but he could've stabbed his hand off! And what point is he making and how can you be so calm!?" Sarada yelled as blood started flowing from Naruto's hand as Sakura managed to find her voice.

"Naruto! What're you doing!? Stop that!" Sakura yelled, actually concerned for Naruto's well-being though he paid her no mind.

"Why am I so different!? Why am I….I worked so hard….to get here, pushing myself until it hurt, training alone for hours, anything to get stronger to reach my dream…." Naruto growled as he grit his teeth as he fully felt the pain of having his hand stabbed as Team Konohmaru saw flashes of all the times Naruto would train until he was practically blue in the face and dead on his feet.

"…I guess that makes sense…somewhat…" Boruto shook his head, still not agreeing with him stabbing his hand so carelessly.

"Is he just trying to be 'Mr. Macho Man'?" Sarada sighed, not understanding the whole "Macho" attitude that boys had and to be honest, she didn't want to know.

"I will never back down again and let someone else rescue me. I will never run away and I will not lose to Sasuke. Upon this wound, I make this pledge, believe it! Bridge Builder, I'll complete this mission and protect you with this kunai knife. Don't worry…I'll be fine." Naruto smiled despite the pain he was in. Tazuna actually looked taken aback as the look in his eyes about how he perceived Naruto started to slowly change while Sasuke still kept a cool face though something in his eyes towards Naruto started to change too.

"I don't even think Boruto would do anything that reckless." Mitsuki smiled.

"Of course not! But….that's my crazy ass dad." Boruto softly laughed as even Sakura and Kakashi looked impressed with Naruto's resolve.

"Naruto, uh, that was really cool how you took the poison out and all but if you lose any more blood you're going to die." Kakashi was quick to point out to Naruto who started to sweat nervously as blood continued to drip from his open wound as he whimpered nervously.

"Good idea to stop the bleeding now, seriously." Kakashi scooted up to Naruto smiling as that was enough for Naruto as he started flailing his arm around frantically.

"Not! Not! Not! No, no, no! I'm too young for it to all end like this!" Naruto was nearly close to pissing himself.

"Moron." Boruto muttered while Sakura and Sarada both put their hands on their hips as they shared identical looks of irritation.

"He talked all that big talk before but he can't back it up now?" Sarada rolled her eyes.

"At least he knows how to brighten the mood." Mitsuki cheerfully noted.

"Show me your hand." Kakashi calmly said as Naruto did so.

"Naruto, you've got a self-abusive personality. It's called Masochism." Sakura pointed out matter of factedly as Sarada grunted in agreement.

However as Naruto showed Kakashi his wound, Kakashi and Team Konohamaru quickly noticed how the wound was slowly closing, leaving nothing but the leftover blood.

"It vanished?" Boruto asked.

"It must be because of the Nine Tails! I know because back during the whole Shin incident, he got stabbed but the wound healed quickly." Sarada explained as she thought back to when she saw Naruto's stab wound heal quickly.

Naruto noticed Kakashi's deep look and quickly deduced something was wrong…

"H-hey….Y-you have a really serious look on your face….You're scaring me…Am I okay?" Naruto gulped hoping he didn't accidently stab an artery or blood vessel out.

"You know something? We haven't seen Naruto have any sort of contact with the Nine Tails in these memories yet. I wonder how he found that out?" Sarada raised a brow in question.

"I guess we'll find out, the deeper we go down these memories." Boruto shrugged as Kakashi lost his serious look, not wanting to scare the young boy.

"Oh, yeah, you should be fine." Kakashi said as he cleaned the blood from Naruto's palm before quickly wrapping his hand and with that the team continued on their journey before meeting up with a boat rower who directed them towards a boat as he started to row them to their destination being the Land of Waves.

"I wonder what else we're gonna see…" Boruto muttered.

"It's definitely not going to be a cake walk, that's for sure." Mitsuki said.

"But this fog…it's so thick and you can't see anything…" Sarada frowned, remembering her fight with Buntan and how much of a pain in the butt that was.

"This fog's so thick, you can't see anything." Sakura said Sarada's exact words as the boat rower continued his rowing.

"The bridge isn't far now. Our destination's just ahead, the Land of Waves." The boat rower said as the bridge that Tazuna was building came into better view of everyone both in and out of the memory as they marveled at the sight of it.

"Looks like we're reaching the end of the journey?" Boruto smirked.

"I doubt things are going to be that easy, Boruto." Mitsuki pointed out.

"Whoa! It's huge!" Naruto exclaimed with a huge excited smile at the boat rower gave him a stern glare.

"Quiet! I told you, no noise! Why do you think we're traveling like this? Cutting of the engine and rowing, moving through the dense fog so they don't see us." The boat rower was quick to remind Naruto who clamped his mouth shut.

"Bad dad." Boruto snickered at Naruto's face as Kakashi turned a serious look upon Tazuna.

"Mr. Tazuna…before we reach the pier, I want to ask you something. The men who are after you, I need to know why. If you don't tell us, I'm afraid I'll have to end this mission when we drop you ashore." Kakashi said sternly with a look in his eyes that he was in the mood for no BS from the bridge builder.

"He couldn't really do that, could he?" Sarada asked, slightly disgusted that they would act ditch Tazuna? That was just too…cold….

"Technically this was beyond the scope of the mission they agreed to so in turn of Mister Tazuna's lying to them, they technically could and they would receive no penalties." Mitsuki pointed out as the thought didn't sit well with neither Boruto nor Sarada.

"That's still jacked up though…" Boruto crossed his arms as everyone gave Tazuna their full, undivided attention.

"I have no choice but to tell you. No, I want you to know the truth. Like you said, this is beyond the scope of the original mission. The one who seeks my life is a very short man who casts a very long and deadly shadow." Tazuna began his explanation to everyone watching both in and out of the memory.

"A deadly shadow?" Kakashi asked.

"Who is it?" Kakashi asked.

"You know him. At least I'm sure you've heard his name before. He's one of the wealthiest men in the world. The shipping magnet, Gato." Tazuna explained as a small sweat started on his face.

"Gato? Who's that?" Sarada turned to her teammates in confusion.

"I dunno but from what it looks like, he sounds like he's bad news…" Boruto noted the sweat perspiring on Tazuna's face.

"Huh? Gato? Of Gato Transport? He's a business leader, everyone knows him." Kakashi's visible eye widened in realization at the name.

"Who? Who? What? What?" Naruto asked as it was certain to everyone he knew jack all about Gato and his existence.

"Gato is a very powerful tycoon from a famous company, that's true. But below the surface, with the same ruthless methods he uses to take over businesses and nations, he sells drugs and contraband using gangs and ninja." Tazuna added onto his explanation.

"Huh? A stereotypical gangster, huh?" Boruto snorted.

"Yeah but I wonder what he has with Mister Tazuna, here?" Tazuna put his hand to his chin in thought.

"It was one year ago when Gato first set his sight on The Land of Waves. He came to our island and used his vast wealth to take control of our transport and shipping. Anyone who tried to stand in his way simply…disappeared." Tazuna looked down at the last part of his sentence as right away, Team Konohamaru knew something or someone personal to Tazuna had suffered at the hands of Gato.

"This Gato guy sounds just awful…." Sarada wrinkled her nose.

"Yeah but since we haven't heard of him, dad and the others must have taken care of him. All I wanna know is how." Boruto said, a bit excited to see just what happened in this particular memory.

"In an island nation, a man who controls the sea controls everything. Finances, the government, our very lives but there's one thing he fears, the bridge. When it is complete, it will join us to the land and that will break his control….I…am the bridge builder." Tazuna looked up at the incomplete bridge.

"So in a nutshell, if Gato kills this Tazuna guy then the bridge will be incomplete and in turn, he'll continue his rule over the Land of the Waves." Boruto assumed.

"That's exactly right." Mitsuki nodded, fully understanding the true scope of their mission.

"But why lie about their mission? I mean with how kind Lord Third is, surely he would've helped without any problem on his end, right?" Sarada asked.

"That may be the case but remember that higher ranking missions cost more money and with this Gato guy seemingly having a hold on the Land of Waves it could be possible that they simply couldn't afford more than a C or D rank mission." Mitsuki stated in thought as Sarada was quiet as she took in his words.

"…You may…be right…Mitsuki…" Sarada blinked as Sasuke and Sakura looked deep in thought with Tazuna's words while Naruto just looked completely and utterly clueless.

"I see…since you're in charge of the bridge, you're standing in this gangster's way." Sakura put her thumb to her chin.

"That means that the guy we fought in the forest, they were working for Gato." Sasuke said as he turned to Sakura.

"I don't understand. If you knew he was dangerous, knew he'd send ninja to eliminate you, why did you hide that from us?" Kakashi asked, asking the same question Sarada had not too long ago.

"Because the Land of Waves is a small, impoverished nation…Even our nobles have little money." Tazuna looked down as the look in Kakashi's eyes had changed from one of being skeptical to being one of sympathy.

The common people who are building this bridge…they can't pay for an A or B ranked mission. It's too expensive. If you end the mission when you drop me ashore, there will be no bridge. They'll assassinate me before I reach home." Tazuna looked down in shame while confirming Mitsuki's answer to Sarada as Sasuke and Kakashi frowned at the old man in sympathy while Naruto and Sakura looked squeamish about the whole thing.

"But don't feel bad about that. Of course, my sweet little grandson will be upset and he'll cry, 'Granddad! I want my granddad!' and my daughter will condemn Leaf Ninja, denouncing and blaming you for abandoning her father and live her life in sorrow. Oh well, it's not your fault." Tazuna nonchalantly shrugged as Boruto and Sarada deadpanned.

"Okay this guy is just guilt-tripping them." Boruto deadpanned.

"Will they give in?" Sarada asked noticing as everyone looked at each other before sighing in defeat.

"Well…I guess we have no toher choice. We'll have to keep guarding you." Kakashi smiled as Sarada rolled her eyes.

"Of course they'd give in." Sarada sighed.

"It just shows how big of hearts they have!" Mitsuki chuckled as Tazuna actually looked relieved they wouldn't abandon him to die.

"Oh? I'm very grateful." Tazuna gratefully smiled before turning away and giving a piece sign to a strange wall of fourths.

"Oh that little troll!" Sarada growled out as Mitsuki and Boruto laughed before the boat finally got out of the foggy area they were in before they eventually reached land, much to the team's relief.

"Finally. All that fog was getting to be a bit too much for me." Boruto shook his head.

"Yeah…" Sarada agreed as the boat reached a port where the boat rower parked his boat.

"That's as far as I go. Good luck." The boat rower wished to the group.

"Right. Thank you for taking such a risk." Tazuna thanked the man before he left as the group continued on their journey to the Land of Waves.

As they walked through the forest, Naruto sent an irritated glare towards Sasuke's way who ignored him, same as always.

Much to everyone's amazement, Naruto suddenly ran up in front of the group before pulling out a Kunai.

"What is that boy doing?" Sarada rolled her eyes.

"Nothing good…" Boruto's eyes were firmly locked on the weapon in Naruto's hands as he hastily flung the weapon into the distance leaving everyone sans Sasuke and Mitsuki wide-eyed and shocked.

"What the hell is that idiot doing!?" Boruto and Sarada simultaneously yelled.

"Hmph, it was just a mouse." Naruto quickly got up in an attempt to save face as he was starting to get embarrassment with Boruto getting second hand embarrassment as a result.

"Oh yeah right!" Boruto rolled his eyes with a scoff.

"Mouse? Yeah right! Everyone can see through your stupid act!" Sakura spat.

"Naruto, those are Kunai Knives. They're dangerous." Kakashi tried reasoning as Tazuna growled, his patience being put through the wringer with the blond dope.

"Oh he's about to snap." Sarada noted.

"Stop trying to scare me, you scruffy little dwarf!" Tazuna yelled in utter agitation and irritation.

"….And he snapped." Boruto muttered.

"Hey! Is someone hiding over there!? No, they're over there! Over there!" Naruto yelled before flinging another Kunai in another random location.

"If he keeps up, he's gonna get someone killed." Mitsuki calmly stated.

"How can you be so chill about that!?" Sarada growled.

"Can someone put a stop before he kills somebody!?" Boruto irritatingly asked as Sakura answered Naruto's wish.

"That's it, Naruto!" Sakura yelled, clobbering Naruto's skull.

"Thank you!" Sarada thanked as a small welt appeared on Naruto's skull.

"Ugh! W-why'd you do that? Someone really is following us! I mean it!" Naruto lamely reasoned as Sakura would hear none of it.

"Yeah, right! Quit lying and acting like a dumb kid!" Sakura spat as Kakashi opened the bushes nearby, revealing a rabbit that nearly had its head cleaved off from Naruto's kunai.

"That idiot almost killed a bunny!" Sarada face-palmed.

"Smooth, dad." Boruto scoffed with an eyeroll.

"Oh no! A rabbit! I'm so sorry!" Naruto sobbed as he cuddled the poor scared bunny who looked like he wished he was impaled by Naruto's kunai.

"How embarrassing." Boruto deadpanned.

"If only we had a camera to commemorate this moment." Sarada snorted.

"…All this fuss over a rodent?" Tazuna deadpanned as Mitsuki raised an eyebrow.

"But it's something that raises an eyebrow…" Mitsuki began as his words got the attention of his teammates.

"Whaddaya mean?" Boruto asked.

"By my calculations, it's summer here yet that's a rabbit that's color is the color that it's supposed to be when it's winter time. If it's the wrong color…" Mitsuki began, hoping his teammates would get where he was going with things.

"Then it's a ploy and the enemy's close by!" Sarada exclaimed as Kakashi's eye narrowed.

"So they're already here….look out!" Kakashi commanded to his team as everyone's eyes widened at the huge Kubikiribocho blade headed their way.

"Oh shit!" Boruto cursed as everyone ducked with Sakura saving Naruto in the knick of time from being decapitated as she hastily shoved him to the ground.

As the sword embedded himself in a nearby tree, there stood a tall man with a mask on his face similar to Kakashi's as the look in his eyes was enough to send chills up the spines of Boruto and Sarada.

"Who is he? He gives me the creeps…" Sarada shuddered as Boruto let out a fake laugh.

"Heh…I guess we're getting into the knitty gritty of this mission after all." Boruto slightly smirked, sort of curious to see just what this mysterious man had in store for Team Seven. His overall appearance let Boruto know that he was no joke.

"Well, well, if it isn't Zabuza Momochi, rogue ninja from the Village Hidden in the Mist." Kakashi greeted Zabuza in a mock-cordial tone.

"Zabuza?" Sarada raised an eyebrow.

"He was once a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsman and it was said that he fled the Mist Village after a failed assassination on the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura." Mitsuki explained as Sarad and Boruto looked at their teammate in amazement.

"Wait, seriously?" Boruto asked.

"It was said that his alias is the 'Demon of the Mist' and that he specializes in silent killing." Mitsuki added onto his explanation as both Sarada and Boruto reacted differently to Zabuza's stats.

"Silent Killing?" Sarada slightly cringed as Boruto couldn't stop his lips from curving upwards.

"Man…I'd love to spar against him…." Boruto admitted as his bespectacled teammate look at him like he was insane for his admission. However, Boruto noted the look in his father's eyes and quickly face-palmed.

"Oh dad, don't do anything stupid…" Boruto groaned as thankfully Kakashi put a hand in front of his protégé, stopping him from advancing.

"Get back." Kakashi ordered.

"Thank you." Boruto exhaled.

"But why?" Naruto groaned at his teacher in annoyance who paid him no mind.

"He's not like those other ninja. He's in a whole other league. If he's our opponent…I'll need this…" Kakashi's hand slowly etched towards where his headband covered his eye.

"'This'? What's he talking about?" Sarada asked as Boruto was just as curious though Mitsuki was silent, already knowing what Kakashi was hiding.

"This could be treacherous." Kakashi said as Zabuza was unfazed with Kakashi's secret eye.

"Kakashi of the Sharingan, did I get that right?" Zabuza asked much to the shock of Boruto and Sarada.

"Wait, did he say Sharingan?" Boruto asked, staring at Kakashi in amazement.

"But how? Master Kakashi isn't an Uchiha so how could he have a Sharingan?" Sarada asked as Mitsuki decided to speak up.

"It was said that he received his Sharingan as a transplant from a mission back when he was a young boy from an old friend of his." Mitsuki explained as his friends turned to stare at him.

"A transplant? Wait! He does have a scar on his eye so I guess that explains it….huh….I wonder how that happened…" Boruto muttered as Mitsuki was silent, knowing his friends would find out the farther they go down these movies.

"It's too bad but you'll have to hand over the old man." Zabuza stated more than suggested as Team Seven looked just as bewildered as Team Konohamaru, none more than Sasuke.

"Now quick! Manji Formation! Protect the bridge builder and stay out of this fight! I taught you teamwork and now it's time to use it." Kakashi ordered his team before he lifted his headband up, revealing his Sharingan with three tomoe in it, much to the amazement of everyone watching.

"Whoa! It has more than Sarada's!" Boruto noted impressed as Sarada sent her teammate a glare but could alas do nothing as she knew that he was right…Maybe someday she'll awaken her three tomoe Sharingan.

"Well…looks like I get to see the Sharingan in action. This is an honor." Zabuza said in a voice that was mildly impressed at the sight of Kakashi's left eye while Kakashi's genin stared at Kakashi in amazement, with Sasuke being the most speechless.

"Everyone keeps saying 'Sharingan', 'Sharingan'. Will someone please tell me what Sharingan is?" Naruto asked before it was surprisingly Sasuke who decided to answer the blond knucklehead.

"Sharingan…a rare power that resides in the eyes. The user of this visual jutsu or dojutsu can instantly see and comprehend any Genjutsu, Taijutsu, Ninjutsu and reflect the attack back on the attacker. The Sharingan is a special rare form of dojutsu. However, there's more to the Sharingan than that. A lot more…" Sasuke looked down as his teammates processed this information while Zabuza merely grinned at Sasuke's exposition.

"You got it right, boy. But you only scratched the surface. The Sharingan can analyze an opponent's technique and then copy it to the smallest detail." Zabuza added onto Sasuke's statement as a thick mist suddenly enveloped the forest around Team Seven and Tazuna.

"What's this?" Boruto asked, slightly taken aback.

"It must be because of that Zabuza's doing." Mitsuki surmised.

"As for you Jonin, in the assassination unit of the Hidden Mist, we had a standing order to destroy you on sight. Your profile was in our bingo book. It called you, 'The man who copied over one thousand jutsu. Kakashi, the copy ninja." Zabuza's eyes narrowed at Kakashi who gave him a narrowed eyed glare back in response as Boruto and Sarada looked at Kakashi in surprise.

"Wait, Old Man Kakashi really copied over a thousand different jutsu? Then again the Sharingan does let you copy jutsu from what Uncle Sasuke told me…." Boruto said.

"I wonder…just how did Master Kakashi lose his Sharingan anyways?" Sarada asked as Mitsuki was silent and decided not to say anything.

"Wow! That's so cool!" Naruto cheesed as Sakura looked just as impressed.

Sasuke meanwhile didn't share his teammates' optimism as he just looked at Kakashi warily.

"Enough talking….I need to exterminate the old man, now." Zabuza stated in a tone that let Tazuna know he had no intention of letting him leave this forest in one piece.

Tazuna took a defensive step back in fear before Team Seven entered a Manji defense formation around the old man.

"Guess we're about to see some action go down! I wish I had some popcorn." Boruto smirked as Sarada merely rolled her eyes at Boruto's comment.

"So, I'll have to eliminate you first, huh Kakashi?" Zabuza glared at Kakashi who took a protective stance in front of his team.

"He's over there!" Naruto pointed as Zabuza un-lodged his blade from the tree and jumped on the river behind him.

"Standing on the water!" Sakura also pointed out as Zabuza made a hand sign with his right hand while raising his left arm before a thick mist enveloped the area.

"Ninja Art-Hidden Mist Jutsu!" Zabuza yelled he disappeared with the Mist.

"Ugh…I'm having flashbacks…." Sarada muttered.

"Sensei!" Sakura exclaimed, her voice full of fear as Naruto and Sasuke seemed just as unnerved.

"He'll come after me first." Kakashi reassured Sakura.

"But who is he?" Sakura asked.

"Zabuza Momochi, the ex-leader of the Hidden Mist Assassination Unit. He's a master of the silent killing technique." Kakashi began his explanation.

"S-Silent?" Even Naruto asked creeped out.

"As the name suggests, it happens in an instant without sound or warning of any kind. It happens so fast, you pass from this life without realizing what has happened. The Sharingan cannot fully neutralize it, so don't lower your guard." Kakashi warned his team who looked nervous as they realized the circumstances, sans Sasuke who managed to reign in his fear the most.

"Well that's healthy motivation." Sarada sarcastically said.

"I'll say." Boruto snickered.

"Well, if we fail, we only lose our lives." Kakashi seemingly nonchalantly stated as Sakura glared at Kakashi.

"How can you say that!?" Sakura spat, not believing that Kakashi would be joking in a time like this.

"Trying to liven the mood I guess. Though the joke obviously fell flat." Mitsuki chuckled as the mist became way harder to see through.

"The mist is getting thicker and thicker…." Naruto observed, getting slightly nervous.

"The Land of Waves is surrounded by ocean. The swirling mists are ever present…." Tazuna explained though as he did so, Kakashi disappeared with mist.

"Sensei!" Sakura exclaimed in fear and concern for her sensei.

"Looks like things are really starting to heat up now…" Sarada muttered before a familiar voice got everyone's attention.

"Eight points…." The voice of Zabuza rang through the air.

"W-what's that!?" Sakura nearly dropped the kunai in her hand from surprise.

"Larnyx, spine, lungs, liver, jugular, subclavian artery, kidneys, heart. Now…which will be my kill point?" Zabuza asked as everyone could literally hear the glee in his voice.

"…At least we see how much he knows about the human body…" Boruto nervously laughed although his attempt at a joke fell flat.

Wishing to see his opponent clearly, Kakashi summoned chakra around his body as everyone could feel the literal power emanating around Kakashi.

"…So…this is the power…of Kakashi Hatake…" Sarada's forehead started to nervously sweat.

"If he was a badass at his current age…just how much of a monster was he twenty years ago?" Boruto wondered as clearly the past incarnations of Team Seven were wondering the same thing.

However…no one seemed more unnerved at all the flowing power around them than Sasuke who broke out into a nervous sweat as his already pale skin was even paler as he looked close to having a nervous breakdown.

"D-dad? What's wrong with him?" Sarada asked in concern for her dad as she tried putting a comforting hand on his shoulder only to phase right through him.

"Yeah…I've never seen him so….scared before…" Boruto frowned just as concerned as it was then that Mitsuki decided to speak.

"It's because that just like Lord Seventh, Mister Sasuke has realized that while he may have been the strongest and the class star in the Ninja Academy, he's just a small fish in a big pond. After all, class statistics mean nothing to a ninja with a kunai at your throat." Mitsuki explained as Sarada shook her head.

"I can only wonder how the two got so strong…" Sarada said as Kakashi was quick to snap Sasuke from his inner funk.

"Sasuke! Calm down. I'll protect you with my life. All of you. I will not allow my comrades to die. Trust me." Kakashi turned to his team with a smile that was able to quell the worries of his teammates, at least somewhat as the color returned to Sasuke's face.

"Thank you, Master Kakashi." Sarada breathed a sigh of relief.

"Just like dad, Old Man Kakashi is good with his words." Boruto smiled though Zabuza's chuckles rang through the air.

"I wouldn't be so sure. It's over!" Zabuza yelled as he was wedged right in the middle of Team Seven's Manji Formation around Tazuna.

"Oh crap!" Boruto's eyes widened as Zabuza's blade was about to bisect Tazuna before Kakashi thought fast as he impaled Zabuza's chest with a kunai.

"Got him!" Boruto cheered as Mitsuki's eyes narrowed.

"Not quite." Mitsuki corrected his friend.

Zabuza grunted in pain before what would one expect to be blood flowing from the open wound from his chest was water.

"A water clone!" Boruto noted as Sarada's eyes widened in dread as the real Zabuza was right behind Kakashi with his huge blade in hand ready to decapitate Kakashi.

"Sensei! Behind you!" Naruto pointed as Zabuza swung his blade.

"Die!" Zabuza yelled as he sliced through Kakashi.

Or rather….what he thought was Kakashi as it was revealed to be nothing but a water clone of his own.

"It can't be!" Zabuza's eyes widened in dread as he realized what was happening.

"He must've copied him before he made the Mist!" Sarada pointed out in realization.

"Man…just how broken is the Sharingan, for real?" Boruto muttered as he wondered just what was stronger; his Jougan eye or the Sharingan?

As Zabuza realized what was happening, the real Kakashi appeared right behind Zabuza with a kunai close to his throat.

"Don't move." Kakashi warned Zabuza in voice that gave Boruto and Sarada goosebumps.

"Man…Master Kakashi really was powerful in his prime…" Sarada gulped while Boruto grunted in agreement.

"Now, it's over. You're finished." Kakashi's eye narrowed as Naruto and Sakura couldn't stop the relieved smiles from forming on their faces.

"All right!" Naruto was all but ready to cheer while Sakura let out a happy giggle though Sasuke looked unconvinced that this was all over. It all seemed too…easy?

The laughter emanating behind Zabuza's bandages confirmed Sasuke's suspicions as well as Mitsuki's.

This sudden occurrence baffled Kakashi who raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Finished? You really don't get it, do you? Your technique is nothing but a crass imitation. I'll never be defeated by a mere copycat ninja like you." Zabuza stated as Kakashi's eyes narrowed at Zabuza's statement.

"You are full of surprises, though. You'd already copied my Water Clone Jutsu when you made your little speech. Very skillfully executed. You made your clone say those words to draw my attention while you hid in the mist, waiting for me to make my move. Nice try…." Zabuza gave Kakashi a deadly glare before the real Zabuza appared right behind him, as the Zabuza who had a kunai to the throat was nothing but a clone.

"But I'm not that easy to fool!" Zabuza yelled as the clone evaporated into water.

"Hey! That one's a clone too!" Naruto yelled.

"Oh crap, now what?" Boruto asked as Kakashi was able to narrowly save himself from being decapitated at the last second by lunging under the blade though this seemed to be a ploy as Zabuza embedded his blade in the ground below before kicking Kakashi away.

Before Zabuza could follow after him, he noticed spikes on the ground.

"Makubishi Spikes? Trying to slow me down." Zabuza touched back onto the river that Kakashi landed in.

"Sensei!" Naruto yelled in horror as Sakura looked just as horrified.

"He has great physical skill too." Sasuke noted as Kakashi was quick to pick himself out of the water although he noticed something different about the liquid.

"Hmph, fool. Water Prison Jutsu!" Zabuza yelled before Kakashi found himself restrained in a circular prison made of pure, concentrated water.

"Old Man Kakashi!" Boruto's eyes widened in horror.

"It's bad because if he doesn't get out soon, he could suffocate!" Sarada noted in concern.

"Hmph, this prison is made of water but it's stronger than steel. It's hard to fight when you can't move. So much for the great Kakashi." Zabuza scoffed before turning his eye to the remnants of Team Seven and more importantly, Tazuna.

"But first…your little friends will have to be eliminated. Water Clone Jutsu!" Zabuza said as a clone arose from the water of the river below as Naruto and Team Seven's eyes widened in horror as they realized just who they were dealing with.

"Crap…from bad to worse…" Boruto clicked his tongue.

"You think wearing a headband makes you a ninja? When you've hoovered between life and death so many times that it doesn't faze you, then you may be called a ninja. When you've become so deadly that your profile is entered in my bingo book, then you may have earned the title, 'Ninja'. But to call upstarts like you ninja is a joke." Zabuza said before his clone suddenly appeared right in front of Naruto and kicked him away with so much force that his headband flew off, landing right in front of the Zabuza clone who stomped on it with cruel indifference.

"Dad!" Boruto yelled.

"He's so fast!" Sarada winced.

"You're just brats." The Zabuza clone scoffed at the pitiful state Naruto was left in as Naruto was coughing and gasping for air.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled in concern as Sasuke gasped just as concerned and horrified.

As he realized just how dire the mission was getting, Kakashi's eyes widened in horror.

"Listen! Get the bridge builder and run! You can't win this fight! He's using all his power to keep me in this prison so he can only fight you with his water clone but his clone can't go far from his real body. If you can get away from him, he can't follow now run!" Kakashi ordered his team as they looked conflicted on what to do.

"Even if they do run away, he would track Team Seven down and kill them so it'd be better for them just to stay and fight." Mitsuki was quick to point out.

"Yeah…not to mention if they left what would stop Zabuza from killing Master Kakashi?" Sarada added.

"We've got to do it and try!" Sasuke stated as he appeared to have the same thoughts as Mitsuki as he charged Zabuza in a valiant effort to try to free Kakashi as he threw several ninja projectiles at the Zabuza clone who blocked them with little to no effort on his end as Sasuke tried an aerial strike with a kunai.

"Hmph, too easy." The Zabuza clone scoffed as Sasuke had left himself wide open as he grabbed Sasuke's throat tightly before throwing him to the side like he was nothing significant.

"Dad!" Sarada yelled.

"Sasuke, no!" Sakura's hands covered her mouth in horror.

"He got Sasuke!" Naruto barely gasped out before he noticed the Zabuza clone standing right over him as he looked over twenty feet tall.

"Oh no! Someone, anyone, help him!" Boruto spat, wishing for someone to come to Naruto's aid as Naruto looked ready to try to run before he winced as the pain of Naruto's self-inflicted wound as his look changed from one of fear…to one of sadness as Team Konohamaru saw several flashes from Naruto's past.

"_I whole-heartedly believe you can become Hokage one day, Naruto." Hiruzen smiled as the two shared a meal over fish at their first meeting._

"_No one will ever acknowledge some freak like you!" One villager yelled as he whacked Naruto out of his store._

"_I told you to stay away from him!" A mother hastily drug her child from Naruto as they played together at the park._

"_Yeah, right! Some loser like you being Hokage, don't make me laugh!" Kiba yelled as he laughed at Naruto's failed transformation into the Third Hokage._

"_Hmph, it serves him right. Just imagine if someone like him ever became a ninja." One woman glared at Naruto followed his third failure to graduate from the Ninja Academy._

"_That's why no one will accept you in our village! Even your beloved sensei hates your guts!" Mizuki jeered at Naruto._

"_That's because you're wrong. He's not a Monster Fox of the Leaf but he's Naruto Uzumaki!" Iruka declared with the utmost certainty in his voice._

"_Congratulations! You graduate!" Iruka smiled as Naruto's eyes widened as he realized he had finally become a ninja._

"_You pass. You're the first team to have ever passed my test." Kakashi smiled with pride at Team Seven._

"_Upon this wound, I promise to never run away again!" Naruto grinned despite the pain and blood of his hand wound._

Returning to real time, all the fear from Naruto's eyes had evaporated completely as his eyes were full of determination and courage.

"I will never run away again!" Naruto yelled as he tried charging the Zabuza clone, much to the bewilderment of everyone.

"It's great he found his courage but what can he do!?" Sarada was ready to rip her hair out as Boruto glared at her.

"Don't count out dad, yet. After all…he's unpredictable." Boruto smiled.

"Huh!? Naruto, no!" Kakashi looked just as frustrated as Sarada while Sakura looked also ready to rip out her hair in frustration.

"Naruto! What in the world are you doing!?" Sakura yelled, thinking Naruto had clearly lost his mind as while Sasuke was surprised at Naruto's actions, he looked deep in thought about something.

"Hmph, fool." Zabuza snickered as he rewarded Naruto's efforts with a swift kick to the face, sending blood spraying from Naruto's mouth as he was knocked back in a beaten heap.

"What are you thinking, charging at him by yourself!? Even Sasuke couldn't get to him! We're only Genin! We can't defeat a Jonin! What'd you think you'd accomplish by doing something like that!?" Sakura was ready to tell off Naruto though he weakly gripped the Hidden Leaf headband that had been lost earlier as he slowly arose to his feet as everyone in the memory watched with varying levels of curiosity and interest.

"Hmph…hey you…the freak with no eyebrow…" Naruto smiled despite the blood trailing his lips as Team Konohamaru chuckled at the description he gave Zabuza.

"Well he's not wrong." Mitsuki smiled as that seemed to irritate Zabuza as a vein appeared on the head of the real Zabuza.

"Put this in your bingo book…the ninja that will become Hokae of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. He never backs down…his name is Naruto Uzumaki!" Naruto declared as he wrapped his headband around his head with a glint in his voice.

Although unlike the mischievous glints in his eyes, this glint in his eyes was different…it was just like the current, wise look he had in his eyes today.

"Damn right, you tell him!" Boruto cheered as he pumped his fists.

"He's becoming more and more like the Lord Seventh we know." Mitsuki smiled as Sarada blushed, remembering her crush on Lord Seventh as this Naruto was very reminiscent of the Naruto she admired since childhood.

"Hey, Sasuke. Can you hear me?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah I hear you." Sasuke answered.

"I've got a plan." Naruto stated as Sasuke actually seemed interested in the former class clown's plan.

"Hmph, so you're finally thinking about teamwork, huh?" Sasuke asked as Team Konohamaru noticed Sakura's eyes widened as a blush adorned her cheeks.

"Huh? It looks like Miss Sakura is finally changing her tune on how she may perceive Lord Seventh. And even Mister Tazuna is seeming to respect and see Lord Seventh in a new light as well." Mitsuki mused as Team Konohamaru noticed Tazuna's look of respect in his eyes that was no doubt directed towards Naruto.

"About time." Boruto nodded his head as Naruto wiped the blood on his chin.

"Now, let's go wild." Naruto grinned, ready to save Kakashi and bring this bastard down.

Though all of the good guys looked impressed with Naruto's resolve, Zabuza found his words nothing short of amusing.

"Big words for such a little man. You think your plan's going to keep you in the game?" Zabuza mused as Kakashi's eyes widened as he still saw no way out of this current situation as long as his team were there.

"What're you doing!? I told you to run! This fight was over the moment I got caught. Now take off! Your mission is not to prove how brave you are. It's to save the bridge builder!" Kakashi was quick to remind his team at the task at hand though they looked unconvinced with Kakashi's argument.

"Bridge builder?" Naruto frowned in Tazuna's direction who looked down in thought before he looked back up with his answer in mind.

"Well I…I guess this all happened because of me. Because of my desire to live but I won't let that stand in your way now. Forget about me and do what you have to do. Go ahead and fight to save your sensei!" Tazuna said as everyone seemed satisfied at that.

"And there you have it." Boruto smirked as Kakashi looked like he was about to have a brain aneurysm. Why did his team have to be so darn hard-headed?

"Heh, you ready Sasuke?" Naruto smirked as Zabuza merely chuckled as his small chuckles turned into humorous laughter.

"Okay, what's so funny?" Sarada asked, slightly weirded out.

"We're gonna see in a little bit." Mitsuki shrugged.

"You really haven't learned anything, have you? Still playing your little game, pretending to be ninja. When I was your age, this hand had already crushed many opponents." Zabuza looked to his hands as Team Seven actually cringed at Zabuza's admission. Even Sasuke couldn't imagine killing so….adamantly.

"Zabuza…the demon…." Kakashi muttered.

"Demon? I guess from what we've seen of him so far, we can't be surprised…" Boruto muttered as Zabuza actually smirked at Kakashi's words.

"Oh, so I was in your book too, huh?" Zabuza asked as Kakashi turned to his team who looked utterly lost.

"Long ago in the Village Hidden in the Mist, also known as Blood Mist Village, before a student could become a ninja, there was one final test…." Kakashi began his explanation.

"Do you know about the graduation exam?" Zabuza turned to Kakashi's direction.

"What graduation exam? What's the big deal anyway? We had graduation tests too." Naruto said to Zabuza's whose laughs were starting to unnerve even Boruto and Sarada along with Team Seven.

"Did you have to kill the other students to pass?" Zabuza simply asked as Naruto lost the color in his face.

"Wait what!?" Sarada asked.

"Wait, I remember Kagura telling me and the other guys that. That was a part of the graduation requirement back in the day." Boruto noted in remembrance.

"And it was during a time where the Hidden Mist Village was called Blood Mist Village ruled by the tyrant Yagura." Mitsuki added as Sarada could hardly believe what she was hearing.

"Imagine young ninja like you, eating together, training together and here comes the final exam. Only they changed the rules-kill or be killed. You can't stop while your opponent still breathes. He was your friend, shared your dreams now it's him….or you…." Zabuza explained as everyone except for Kakashi and Mitsuki looked sick to their stomachs at what they were hearing.

"That's so cruel…" Sakura whimpered as she took one step back.

"Understatement of the century, mom…" Sarada frowned, realizing just how out of place her mother was here.

"Ten years ago in the Village Hidden in the Mist, the graduation exam changed. One year before, a dark evil had filled the school with terror…." Kakashi said as Sakura looked puzzled.

"What's he saying? What kind of evil? What caused the terror?" Sakura asked.

"And that evil was Zabuza." Mitsuki stated simply.

"Without pause or hesitation a young boy who was not even a ninja approached the class and took down over a hundred other students." Kakashi finished his story, letting the information sink into those who were listening within earshot.

"…God…talk about psycho….makes me glad I wasn't born in the Hidden Mist back then…." Boruto cringed.

"Yeah no kidding. Just how are they gonna bring this psycho down?" Sarada asked, curious as to how this mission ended.

Zabuza was silent as he was clearly in Memory Lane about the good old days. At least for him, anyways.

"It…it felt so…good!" Zabuza exclaimed as his smile was clearly seen through his bandages, making Naruto and Sasuke tense before Sasuke found himself back-smacked away from Naruto before the Zabuza clone brought his elbow down on Sasuke's abdomen, making the young Uchiha spit out a mouthful of blood.

"No!" Sarada yelled.

"Uncle Sasuke, you gotta get outta there!" Boruto yelled as the Zabuza clone rubbed his foot across Sasuke's chest who grunted in pain.

"Sasuke!" Sakura yelled, wanting to run to Sasuke's aid but found herself unable to do so as she would be killed with utter ease and there needed to be at least one person around Zabuza.

"Hehe, you're nothing." The clone's hand went to his blade, intent on cleaving Sasuke in two.

"Stop right there!" Naruto yelled before summoning a good number of Shadow Clones as they surrounded Zabuza from all angles as he looked at Naruto in intrigue.

"Shadow Clones…and there's quite a few of them…" Zabuza unwittingly took his foot off of Sasuke as his attention was shifted from Sasuke towards Naruto who took out a Kunai with all his clones.

"Here we go!" Naruto and his clones yelled as they all dogpiled on Zabuza, intent on turning him into a pincushion although he was surprisingly able to get the edge as he repelled all of Naruto's clones away much to the shock of everyone watching.

"Man he's strong! He pushed back all that weight!" Boruto exclaimed both in awe and fear.

"He isn't called the 'Demon of the Mist' for nothing." Mitsuki said as Sakura went pale in fear as this was seemingly turning into a no win scenario.

"His skills are too advanced…he's too powerful…there's no way to defeat him!" Tazuna yelled as the clones started to slowly poof away though Naruto and Sasuke didn't look too deterred from this.

"I'm not giving up, I've still got this!" Naruto pulled out a Shuriken as Mitsuki's eyes widened slightly.

"Sasuke!" Naruto threw the projectile to Sasuke who caught it as his eyes also widened before he got into a battle stance as he readied the weapon as it slowly opened.

"Demon Wind Shuriken! Windmill of Shadows!" Sasuke declared as the Zabuza clone looked unfazed with the weapon.

"A Shuriken? You'll never touch me with that." Zabuza's clone scoffed as Sasuke merely grunted before jumping into the air and sending it, surprisingly not in the direction of the Zabuza clone.

"I get it! He's going for the real Zabuza since in order to dodge the weapon he'd have to release Old Man Kakashi!" Boruto noted though Sarada frowned.

"He can merely jump over it or catch it with his other arm." Sarada pointed out as Zabuza looked unintimidated with the incoming projectile.

"So you passed the clone and aimed for my real body. Smart. But not smart enough." Zabuza shook his head as he caught the weapon only to notice a second Shuriken coming.

"Wait there's a second one?" Sarada asked as even Zabuza looked surprised by this.

"A second Shuriken in the shadow of the first? The Shadow Shuriken Jutsu." Zabuza noted.

"I see so the first one was just a diversion and the second Shuriken is what dad and Uncle Sasuke really intended since dad must be in the second Shuriken!" Boruto noted as he remembered what happened when the clones all started to slowly disperse and vanish as he remembered Naruto grabbing hold of a clone and a different weapon.

"Ingenious!" Sarada noted with a smile as Zabuza hastily jumped over the weapon.

"I told you, a Shuriken can't hurt me!" Zabuza yelled before the "Shuriken" suddenly poofed revealing none other than the real Naruto in place of it.

"Heh, told you he was unpredictable!" Boruto was quick to nearly cheering as Zabuza's eyes widened in dread.

"What!?" Zabuza exclaimed, clearly not expecting this sudden change in events.

"Eat this!" Naruto yelled, flinging an open kunai at Zabuza who thankfully had the common sense to dodge the weapon as he unwillingly released Kakashi from his Water Prison though the sudden speed of the kunai led to the area under Zabuza's eye getting slashed, much to the shock of the memory spectators as he readied the Shuriken that was close by.

"I'll destroy you!" Zabuza roared as he was intent on slicing Naruto in two whose eyes widened in horror.

Thankfully he was saved from such a fate as Kakashi's was quick to stop Zabuza from launching the Shuriken by holding him back with his mere knuckles, thankfully letting Naruto fall into the water safely.

"Kakashi-Sensei!" Sakura gasped, happy that her sensei was okay.

"Thanks Old Man Kakashi." Boruto smiled as Kakashi turned towards Naruto as he was nothing short of impressed with his student's plan.

"Naruto that was an excellent plan. You've really grown haven't you?" Kakashi asked his student with a look of the utmost respect on his face while Naruto couldn't stop the beaming smile from adorning his features.

"I knew I couldn't beat him with my Shadow Clones and that was just to distract him. While he fought the clones, I turned into the Demon Wind Shuriken. Heh, he didn't know what to do, believe it! I used one of the clones to transform into the Shuriken. When I threw it to Sasuke, it looked like a real Shuriken. Sasuke could tell it was me in a second and he spun around so no one could see and pulled out his own Shuriken. Now there were two Shuriken. One was real and one was me. I hid in the shadow of the real Shuriken and my target was the real Zabuza. Of course I knew I couldn't fight Zabuza myself, that wasn't in the game plan. I just wanted to get in there and break up his water prison although I didn't know his clone would be wrecked too, ha! That was a bonus, believe it!" Naruto grinned with pride as everyone looked impressed at how such a seemingly thick-headed moron could come up with such an intelligent plan.

"Guess he's not the loser of the Academy anymore." Boruto grinned.

"Although he still has a long way to go before he becomes the Lord Hokage that we all know and love today." Mitsuki was quick to remind his teammate though he was smiling. They all were.

"Don't brag, you just lucked out." Sasuke smirked as Tazuna was nothing short of pissed as he realized his life wasn't ended just because of a mere gamble.

"The whole thing was just a fluke!?" Tazuna didn't know whether to be relieved that he was still in the world of the living or be pissed that it was such the case because of pure dumb luck.

Though this didn't seem to dishearten Zabuza as he merely chuckled.

"I got distracted and lost my grip of the water prison." Zabuza rolled his eyes, thinking that Naruto was stupid to believe the fight was shifting away from Zabuza's favor all because he got lucky. Though Kakashi would hear none of this.

"Don't flatter yourself. You weren't distracted. You were forced to let go." Kakashi spat venomously as Zabuza's eyes narrowed at the Leaf ninja.

"Your technique worked on me once, it won't work on me again. So what's it going to be?" Kakashi asked as the air grew thick with tension as everyone readied themselves as they could only assume what would happen next.

"Sakura, you know what to do." Sasuke turned his eye to Sakura as she nodded before the two defensively got in front of Tazuna, remembering their mission at hand.

Zabuza's eye suddenly clenched while Kakashi's eye widened as he tried digging deeper into Kakashi's stab wound with his Shuriken before Kakashi was thankfully able to deflect the huge weapon by sending it spiraling into the sky; far, far away.

Zabuza then jumped away as he readied several hand signs but as he did so, Kakashi's Sharingan eye seemingly locked onto Zabuza's hand gestures.

"The Sharingan!" Sasuke observed.

"So we finally get to see the 'Copy Ninja' in action." Sarada smiled before both men touched down on the water below.

It was then when both men started to simply mirror the other movements while they chanted several different Japanese signs which was finished with the following, "Water Style! Water Dragon Jutsu!"

And as Kakashi and Zabuza said that, dragons made of pure, unadulterated water arose from the water below before they started the wrestle and dominate the other as everyone was swept off and knocked off their feet from the current, especially Naruto who was lucky enough not to drown in the huge flow of water he was swept under.

"Man that's freaking cool!" Boruto grinned with sparkly eyes.

"Unreal! To think he's so proficient with his mirroring of hand signs! Then again…this is Master Kakashi…." Sarada could hardly believe how much of a beast Kakashi was in his younger days.

"And there they are!" Mitsuki pointed as both men struggled their blades against each other as Zabuza clashed his blade against Kakashi's kunai. Something that would have looked asinine to someone watching as it would be silly pitting something as tiny as a kunai against a huge blade like Zabuza's but Kakashi was not a force meant to be taken lightly.

As both men struggled their blades against each other, they suddenly broke apart as Zabuza decided to test out something.

As fast as he ran was as fast as Kakashi ran. When Zabuza raised his arm for his Hidden Mist Jutsu, so did Kakashi.

"Okay, that's kinda weird…" Boruto's eye kind of twinged as this was slowly turning into a game of Monkey See, Monkey Do.

"Well that's a part of what the Sharingan is. It turns a previously deadly battle you have with an enemy to a game of 'Simon Says'." Sarada snickered at Boruto's reaction.

"I guess…but it's still kinda creepy…" Boruto shook his head.

"He's not just following….he moves the same way at the same time…" Tazuna said, taken aback as Sakura turned to Sasuke.

"How's he doing that, Sasuke?" Sakura asked the Uchiha expert of her team who said nothing as he kept his gaze on the battle ahead.

"Hmph, thinking of what you're going to do next?" Kakashi asked as Zabuza's eyes widened.

"Wait, it can read minds too? Well….then again given how Uncle Sasuke used the Sharingan to erase everyone's memories of himself and me, I guess I shouldn't really be surprised." Boruto crossed his arms.

"It makes you furious, doesn't it?" Kakashi asked, mirroring the hand seals that Zabuza made as the rogue ninja looked close to losing his sanity.

"All you're doing is copying me like a monkey!" Zabuza spat as he readied another sign before speaking, "You can't beat me with cheap tricks! I'll crush you!"

Although much to his chagrin, Kakashi mirrored his exact saying, word for word.

"Ugh! When I crush you, you'll never open that monkey mouth again!" Zabuza growled as he was more than ready to take Kakashi out but before he could say a word.

"Water Style, Water Vortex Jutsu!" Kakashi yelled before Zabuza was swept away by a huge mass of water.

"How'd he do that? It's like he knew he was gonna see into the future!" Boruto yelled, grateful that he and his teammates wouldn't get wet by the huge amounts of water sweeping through the memory as wet clothes was never a fun situation.

"It's a part of the Eye of Insight that the Sharingan has. When gained with enough power, the user can have the ability to see ahead as to what their opponent will do and thus give them the advantage of using their ability against them." Mitsuki explained.

"Wow….I hope the day comes when I awaken my three tomoe Sharingan!" Sarada exclaimed, excited for the day that she would gain such an ability.

Zabuza was knocked into a nearby tree before he suddenly found himself pinned to the tree with several kunai imbedding themselves in his arms.

"H-How? Can…you see into the future?" Zabuza barely gasped out.

"Yes…this is your last battle ever." Kakashi raised a kunai.

"Guess this match is over and decided." Mitsuki said.

"That's it? And here I thought dad'd be the one to take him out." Boruto shrugged a bit in disappointment.

However as soon as Boruto said those words, two sendon needles flew through the air and embed themselves in into Zabuza's neck, sending blood flying as everyone both in and out of the memory gasped in shock as that was the last thing they expected.

"What the hell just happened!?" Boruto asked, searching around as to the cause.

"Up there!" Sarada pointed up to a nearby tree to see someone with long hair and a mask similar to those that Hunter-Nin wore stood upon a tree as they chuckled at the now pitiful state of Zabuza Momochi.

"You were right. It was his last battle." The masked nin chuckled as both Team Seven and Konohamaru alike stared at the mysterious newcomer with varying levels of intrigue.

"Who is that?" Boruto asked.

"A tracker ninja! I recognize the mask!" Sarada pointed out.

"He must've came to eliminate Mister Zabuza." Mitsuki said as Naruto was finally able to pull himself out of the river before he looked at the masked-ninja in surprise.

Kakashi then vanished over to where Zabuza was before putting to fingers on his neck to scan for a pulse…only to come with none…

"…No vital signs…." Kakashi noted before turning to the masked-ninja who decided to speak once again.

"Thank you, I've been tracking Zabuza for a long time, waiting for this chance to finally take him down." Haku bowed as he thanked all of Team Seven for the hard fought effort in defeating Zabuza.

"By your mask I see that you're a tracker ninja from the Village Hidden in the Mist." Kakashi deduced as the boy raised his head back up.

"Impressive. You're well informed." The ninja stated as it was that time when Naruto slid right in front of Tazuna and the rest of Team Seven.

"A tracker!" Naruto said, although Team Konohamaru were quick to notice that the tone in his voice said he had no idea of what a tracker ninja actually was.

"Naruto, you don't even know what that is. You missed the lesson on it, as usual. Tracker ninja have a special role. Try coming to class sometime. When a rogue ninja breaks away from his village, he carries all kinds of secrets with him, the secrets of his people. Trackers are especially trained to hunt down these ninja and eliminate them. That way, the secrets of their people remain safe." Sakura explained to Naruto.

Boruto and Mitsuki said nothing as they looked towards Sasuke's direction.

"That's correct. I'm a member of the elite tracking unit of the Village Hidden in the Mist. It was my duty to stop Zabuza." The tracker ninja stated before Naruto grit his teeth before running straight at the boy as he grit his teeth as he could barely contain his rage as he looked between the boy and the dead body of Zabuza.

"What is this? Who do you think you are!?" Naruto pointed at the boy as he glared at him with barely contained rage as Sasuke, Sakura and Tazuna were taken aback with Naruto's sudden rage. Just what got into the boy?

"I don't understand, what's Lord Seventh's deal?" Sarada asked, confused as to why Naruto would be angry with the person who essentially saved his life.

"Is it not obvious?" Mitsuki asked, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What do you mean?" Sarada asked.

"Easy, Naruto. He's not our enemy." Kakashi quickly reminded his protégé as he turned to him with a defiant glare.

"That's not the point! Did you see what he did, just like that? Zabuza was huge and powerful, like some kind of monster and this kid who's no bigger than me, he brought down Zabuza with one move like it was nothing! I mean…what does that make us? We're just fumbling around, we don't know anything! How can I accept that!?" Naruto asked as Sakura and Sasuke looked down while Kakashi merely strolled up to Naruto.

"Well, even if you don't accept it, it still did happen Naruto…" Kakashi stated before putting a hand on Naruto's head.

"In this world, there are kids who are younger than you and yet…stronger than me…" Kakashi said as he turned an eye towards Sasuke's direction who grit his teeth while Naruto merely grumbled with a small blush on his face before turning his head away both in embarrassment and irritation.

"Ain't that the truth…" Boruto muttered, just wondering who would win in a fight between his current self and this version of his father.

"No kidding." Sarada agreed with Mitsuki nodding.

It was then that the tracker ninja touched down and picked up Zabuza's body before putting it on his shoulder.

"Your struggle is over for now. I must deal with the remains. There are many secrets in this body. They must not be allowed to get into the wrong hands. Please excuse me. Farewell." The masked ninja bid Team Seven adieu before vanishing in a swirl of leaves.

"Hey, he disappeared!" Naruto said before running in the boy's leftover direction as Kakashi put his headband over his Sharingan.

"He's gone, Naruto. Let it go." Kakashi said as Naruto growled before falling to his knees helplessly before gritting his teeth and suddenly starting punching the ground in frustration at his inability to defeat Zabuza.

"What're we doing!? We're nothing! I can't believe it!" Naruto growled as Sarada's eyes widened while Boruto watched his father sorrowfully as he understood why Naruto was doing what he was doing.

"Now I get it….it must've really hurt to go through all that training…only to have someone else finish the job for him…" Sarada frowned sorrowfully.

"It would be enough to send anyone over the edge…" Boruto sighed, remembering how he felt when he was about to lose the Chunin Exams during that whole scenario with the flag.

Thankfully, Kakashi was able to get Naruto to stop by grabbing one of his arms before he would beat his hands to the point where they would bleed.

"As ninja, the things we encounter are never easy. Save your anger for the next enemy…" Kakashi said as Naruto, albeit reluctantly, stopped his anger tantrum.

"We haven't completed our mission yet. We still have to get the bridge builder to his bridge." Kakashi said as Tazuna suddenly laughed in the most cheerful manner the team has ever heard from his yet.

"Sorry, I caused all this trouble for ya! But you can rest at my house when we get to the village!" Tazuna suggested in a more jovial tone.

"Uh…talk about a small tune change!" Boruto blinked.

"Small?" Sarada blinked, surprised at the evolution of Tazuna from a grumpy old fart to a cheerful, jovial man? This must be a dream…

"Alright, let's get a move on!" Kakashi instructed as everyone started to follow after him again only for him to stumble around before collapsing suddenly right in front of everyone, much to everyone's shock.

"What happened!?" Sakura asked.

"K-Kakashi-Sensei!" Naruto yelled, running straight to Kakashi's side.

"Wait, what the hell just happened?" Boruto asked as Mitsuki's eyes narrowed.

"It must be a side effect of the Sharingan…" Mitsuki surmised as his team was quick to try to help him onto his feet but to no avail before Team Seven realized they needed to carry Kakashi the rest of the way to Tazuna's village.

And as such, with enough time, Team Seven finally reached Tazuna's homeland in the Land of the Waves….

* * *

And now we begin the first real arc of Naruto and one of my most favorite arcs to boot!

Now you all might notice how I didn't have the bluish-purplish foggy mist end the chapter like I did for the last eight chapters and the reason is because the events of the Land of Waves arc are all part of one big long memory and I feel if I wrote the whole Land of Waves arc in just this one chapter, that'd be kind of cheap of me since the arc deserves more, TBH.

Speaking of, on my profile page I've made a small section dedicated to this story as well as where the current arc of the story is for any new and old-comers that way they can have a direction of just where the story currently is!

Also I should also apologize for being later in the day to update this chapter than I normally do since if you all notice, I try to update this story in the early Afternoons yet I uploaded this at night time and the reason is simple:

Since next week is my Spring Break I have midterms this week and I have to direct my attention towards those BUT at least I didn't stall this chapter so hopefully you all can give me that much, at least? ^_^

In either case, Chapter 10 and the continuation of the Land of Waves arc will be coming Wednesday April 1st as a nice way to start off the lovely month of April so look forward to it then and kindly let me know your thoughts as always since feedback makes me smile! ^_^

Onwards, to ten chapters with this story!


	10. The Land Where A Hero Once Lived

I can't think of any better way to start off the lovely month of April than with a chapter of A Hero's Journey! I can **NOT** believe we've made it to **TEN** chapters, guys! That's right **TEN **chapters! I know I say this a lot but thank you all** SO** much for the support this story has gotten and please continue supporting the story until its conclusion! ^_^

Hopefully this chapter will make everyone feel better! Especially with what's going on in the world…

* * *

Team Konohamaru followed the memory versions of Team Seven and Tazuna as they eventually reached the Land of Waves.

However…what they saw disturbed them.

"This place…it's so…" Sarada commented as she took note of just how run down and desolate the small village looked.

"Depressing….." Boruto frowned as he took note of all the people either living on the street or stealing from the local fresh markets. He clenched his fist in anger as he already had an inkling as to what the main cause of all this depression was.

"Gato." Mitsuki noted.

"Right….this place…it's so sad…that rat bastard ruined so many people….There's no way Dad and Uncle Sasuke wouldn't stop him…I know they definitely gave that asshole his just desserts!" Boruto pumped his fists.

"Yeah!" Sarada agreed as Mitsuki looked pensive.

"What's wrong, Mitsuki?" Sarada asked as she took note of her friend's expression.

"It's just…I was thinking….that person who killed Zabuza was supposed to be a tracker ninja, yes?" Mitsuki asked as Boruto blinked at the question.

"Yeah, why?" Boruto asked.

"Well from what we learned about tracker ninja in the Academy, they're supposed to kill the bodies of the rogue ninja that they find, right? But he didn't." Mitsuki said as Sarada was starting to pick up on her teammate's train of thought.

"What're you saying?" Sarada asked, having a disturbingly good idea of where the son of Orochimaru was going.

"I'm saying that it could be possible that the person and Zabuza might be in cahoots and secretly working together. After all, what he used were senbon needles which, when used correctly, won't kill a person but will knock them out in a state close to death." Mitsuki said as Boruto and Sarada's eyes widened in realization as they took in the snake's words.

"That…would explain everything…." Sarada blinked as Boruto grinned.

"Well this is just great then!" Boruto smirked.

"Huh?" Sarada asked.

"Think about it. Dad wanted another shot at those bastards and it looks like he's gonna get his chance!" Boruto pumped his fist in his palm as Sarada blinked before mentally face palming.

"Oh right, of course! Lord Seventh and even dad would be excited about that…" Sarada smiled, silently wondering just how her dad and Naruto would react when they hear the news.

Eventually Team Seven and Tazuna reached Tazuna's house, a small house which gave a pretty good view of the wide ocean below.

"We're home, Tsunami!" Tazuna called out before a very attractive woman who looked to be in either her mid to late twenties came running before she hugged her father.

"Welcome home, father!" Tsunami smiled in relief that her father was okay. Especially with the threat of either bandits or rogue ninja after his life.

"Haha don't sell me short, girl!" Tazuna chortled.

"Whoa…she's beautiful…" Naruto noted before a mischievous expression adorned his facial features.

"Oh no, don't tell me…" Sarada groaned.

"He's going to try to use her for his Sexy Jutsu?" Mitsuki noted in amusement as Sakura was quick to smack Naruto back to reality.

"Don't even!" Sakura warned as Naruto groaned while rubbing his sore noggin.

"And these are my teammates…" Sasuke sighed, in clear disappointment while Kakashi gave a small chuckle despite the clear exhaustion in his body and it was then that Tsunami took note of the Leaf Village ninja.

"And these are the ninja who escorted you here?" Tsunami asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah. This is Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura." Tazuna respectively pointed to each member.

"Yo!" Naruto casually greeted with a salute.

"A pleasure to meet you." Sakura bowed with a smile.

Sasuke merely nodded as Kakashi nodded towards Tsunami's direction with a smile despite his current condition as he was being held on the shoulders of Naruto and Sasuke.

"Pleasure's…all…mine…." Kakashi smiled as Tsunami gasped as she finally realized Kakashi's condition.

"Oh my god, are you okay?" Tsunami asked as she immediately ran to where Kakashi was.

"It took her that long to notice?" Sarada deadpanned.

"I'll be fine…more…or less..hehe…." Kakashi nervously laughed as Tsunami shook her head, completely unsatisfied with that answer.

"Both of you, follow me upstairs." Tsunami instructed to Naruto and Sasuke.

"Right." Naruto said as Sasuke nodded.

The two along with Sakura and Tazuna followed Tsunami upstairs to where she put out a soft futon bed.

"Now lay him down gingerly…." Tsunami instructed as Naruto and Sasuke did just that.

"Man…why is Old Man Kakashi so wiped out?" Boruto asked.

"It could be that since he's not an Uchiha, the Sharingan would be taxing on his overall stamina. Especially considering it's a two tomoe Sharingan." Sarada surmised.

"Yeah I guess that makes sense." Boruto said.

Once Kakashi was put inside of the futon mattress, he was immediately out.

"Guess he's out." Boruto snorted as Team Seven just lounged around for the next hour or so before Kakashi finally came to.

"Waking up, huh?" Tsunami frowned in concern as she stared over the scarecrow lookalike while putting her hands on her hips.

"I've been better. It'll be a week before I can move normally…" Kakashi admitted with fatigue still present in his voice as he staggered to sit up.

"A week!? Damn, the Sharingan is even more taxing than I thought…." Boruto gulped.

Sarada was grateful she didn't receive any side-effects like that just yet but what would happen to her if her Sharingan continued to mature and develop?

"See? It's better if you don't move so just lie down." Tsunami stated as Kakashi laid back down, albeit slightly reluctantly.

"Right…" Kakashi sighed while Team Seven hastily jumped over to his side, with them looking relieved that Kakashi was okay, even Sasuke.

"Look, the sensei's coming around!" Naruto grinned as he honestly wanted to jump over and give Kakashi a huge bear hug but stopped himself for two reasons. One, he would just end up making Kakashi's situation even worse and Two, Sakura would no doubt give him a cranial eruption courtesy of his fists.

"Listen Sensei your Sharingan is amazing and everything but if it puts that much strain on you maybe it's not worth it." Sakura tried advising her sensei as he looked up in the air, slightly embarrassed at his current state.

"Sorry." Kakashi apologized while Tazuna wiped his head using his towel.

"Huh…well you did take one of the most powerful ninja assassins so we'll be safe for a while." Tazuna was quick to point out.

"Right but you know, the boy with the mask, what about him?" Sakura put her hand to her chin in thought.

"I'm guessing this is the moment when they finally put two and two together." Mitsuki noted, slightly bemused as he could only anticipate the reaction Team Seven would have when discovering he was still alive.

"They're gonna lose their shit." Boruto snorted.

"Why do I actually feel like agreeing with you for once?" Sarada shook her head as Kakashi continued gazing at the ceiling.

"He's from the elite tracking unit of the Village Hidden in the Mist. Those masks are only worn by the most elite shinobi." Kakashi explained as Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"What do they do?" Sakura asked as even Naruto and Sasuke looked intrigued.

"The Anbu Black Ops, also known as the Inferno Squad, destroy all traces of a rogue ninja's corpse. The shinobi's body contains many secrets; Ninjutsu, chakra, special medicines used on his body. These are the secrets of his village. If his enemies find them, his people will be in grave danger. For instance, if I were to die at the hands of an enemy, he would try to analyze my Sharingan. In the worst case, my entire jutsu could be stolen and used against our home village. It is the sacred duty of the Shinobi trackers to prevent this, to keep their village's secrets safe. If a ninja betrays his village, the trackers hunt him down, eliminate him and obliterate every trace of his existence. That's their specialty." Kakashi finished his explanation.

Boruto and Sarada looked green as Kakashi finished his recap on the history of rogue ninja for a lack of better words.

"Whoa…that's so…unreal…." Naruto gulped.

"You're telling me….Kakashi-Sensei….the world of ninja really is…..unreal, huh?" Sakura asked before she and the rest of Team Seven noticed that Kakashi was asleep.

"Hey! He's out again!" Naruto pointed out, slightly annoyed.

"Knock on wood, huh?" Mitsuki bluntly chuckled.

"MItsuki! Don't be rude." Sarada spat, just wondering how many times she had to get on her teammates for being since they came in these memories and dreaded how much longer they would continue to work her nerves.

"But man…we sure got off easy huh….you heard what Old Man Kakashi said….if a ninja leaves they're village, they're basically axed and all we got was suspended from Shinobi Duty…." Boruto gulped.

"Yeah no kidding….we definitely got off considering we could've been executed or imprisoned for life if we got lucky…" Sarada shook her head.

It was at that moment when Boruto and Mitsuki remembered about Sasuke's….checkered past…before gulping, silently dreading Sarada's reaction when they get to that particular memory.

Mitsuki especially since while Boruto was aware of Sasuke merely leaving the village, Mitsuki was aware of Sasuke's affiliation with Akatsuki as well as him killing Danzo and attacking the Hidden Cloud Village.

Naruto snickered, getting the attention of his teammates.

"What's so funny, Naruto?" Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Oh no." Sarada recognized that grin.

"Kakashi-Sensei's asleep, right?" Naruto grinned as Sakura blinked at the question.

"Uh…yeah?" Sakura wasn't following Naruto.

"So…we can see what's under his mask!" Naruto beamed as Sakura could not believe her ears.

"…Huh?" Sakura deadpanned not even understanding how Naruto could think of something so stupid.

"…Is….he…serious?" Sarada face-palmed as Boruto couldn't share her irritation.

"You know I'm kinda curious." Boruto admitted.

"What!?" Sarada's glasses nearly fell from her face.

"Same here. I wonder what Master Kakashi looks like." Mitsuki also admitted as Sarada could not believe her ears and what she was hearing.

"….You know…that might actually sound kinda fun…." Sakura sheepishly admitted as Sarada nearly fell over.

"Mom, not you too!" Sarada groaned.

"What about you, Sasuke?" Sakura turned to Sasuke who turned his head away.

"I'll pass." Sasuke rolled his eyes as Boruto snorted.

"Sounds like Uncle Sasuke." Boruto scoffed in good nature as Naruto and Sakura inched closer to their sleeping sensei.

But before they were an inch closer to his unconscious face, he suddenly shot up, making Naruto and Sakura scream before falling on their bottoms.

"Oh you're up, Kakashi-Sensei." Tsunami walked into the room with a smile, hearing the commotion from Naruto and Sakura.

"Idiot! Wha are you doing! We were so close to seeing under the mask!" Sakura yelled at Naruto as Sasuke shook his head at the two.

"And these are my teammates…" Sasuke sighed.

"So close…." Boruto shook his head in disappointment as he was really looking forward to seeing Kakashi's face.

"I wonder what he has under that thing, anyways?" Sarada asked as Mitsuki smiled.

"Probably another mask." Mitsuki smiled as Sarada and Boruto darted their eyes at Boruto.

"…You know…given how much of a troll Old Man Kakashi is…I wouldn't be surprised…." Boruto muttered as Kakashi looked deep in thought, taking no note of any of Naruto and Sakura's shenanigans, something that Team Konohamaru noticed.

"What's with him?" Boruto asked as even Team Seven in the memory took notice of Kakashi's troubled expression.

"Huh? Hey, are you okay, sensei?" Naruto asked as Kakashi looked up.

"Hm? Oh….yeah…" Kakahsi answered though Team Konohamaru were unconvinced with Kakashi's answer.

"He doesn't sound okay." Sarada noted.

"To finish what I was saying, tracker ninja deal with the body immediately, on the spot, so there's no room for error." Kakashi began again on his previous explanation about tracker and rogue ninjas.

"Is that really important?" Sakura asked, taking a seat by Naruto.

"Think about it. Do you remember what that tracker did with Zabuza's body?" Kakashi asked his team as the memory flashed to scenes of the tracker ninja impaling Zabuza's neck with senbon needles before taking his body and leaving.

"We don't know what he did. I mean, I guess he took it away somewhere?" Sakura offered as the memory returned to the present.

"Exactly. But why? He should have worked on Zabuza right there, as quickly as possible. Think of the weapons he used for the takedown. Do you remember what they were?" Kakashi said as Sasuke's eyes widened as he realized what killed Zabuza.

"Throwing needles…no way!" Sasuke looked at his teacher in dread.

"Exactly…none of it adds up." Kakashi said as Tazuna then walked in the room.

"They're realizing just how sketchy all of this is." Mitsuki noted.

"What're you all yammering on about? You demolished that assassin." Tazuna was quick to point out as Kakashi tried to work out the best possible way to state the cold hard truth, especially with how everyone, mainly Tazuna, would react.

"Here's the truth. Zabuza's still alive." Kakashi bluntly pointed out as the news logically didn't sit well with everyone within the same proximity as Kakashi.

"Welp, I was right about them losing their shit." Boruto chuckled.

"But did he have to be so blunt about it?" Sarada couldn't believe just how blunt some people were. What happened to calmly telling people news? Even if that news might not be all that good….

"How else could he say it?" Mitsuki asked his teammate.

"But we saw his body! Believe it!" Naruto yelled, once he found his voice.

"Kakashi-Sensei, you checked him yourself. You said his heart stopped!" Sakura added in for support.

"His heart did stop but…that was just a temporary state to simulate death. The weapons that tracker used are called senbon. They can pierce deeply but rarely kill unless they hit a vital organ, not in the neck. They're modified from needles used for medical treatments like acupuncture. Trackers are trained to know every detail of the human body. Causing the heart to stop temporarily while keeping the body alive is an easy matter for them. First, he carried Zabuza's body away even though it's much heavier than he is. Second, he used senbon which have a precise effect but are rarely fatal. From these two factors, we can conclude that the tracker wasn't trying to destroy Zabuza. He was trying to save him." Kakashi tried rationalizing his stance for his team as they still looked a bit uncomfortable at the news while Tazuna tried to still find some sense in what he was thinking.

"Exactly what we were saying. Although…I wonder…if Zabuza was strong, I was how much stronger that boy was." Sarada put her hand to her chin in thought.

"There exists the possibility he could be stronger." Mitsuki thought out the possibility.

"Stronger? Then again we can't judge strength based on age." Boruto said.

"Come on, you're overthinking this, aren't you?" Tazuna tried arguing, not wanting to deal with Zabuza any longer if he could help it.

"Encountering suspicion, the ninja prepares quickly. Hesitation leads to disaster. Every Shinobi knows this saying." Kakashi stated before turning his eye to Naruto who clenched his right fist as an excited grin adorned his facial features.

"Looks like he's excited at having another chance at that eyebrowless bastard." Boruto mused.

"His legend has to start somewhere." Sarada smiled, curious as to how her parents and idol overcame this threat.

Kakashi even looked amused at Naruto's reaction, already knowing how elated Naruto feels at having another chance to go at Zabuza.

"Sensei, you said prepare quickly, but how can we do that when you can barely move?" Sakura was quick to point out the apparent dud in Kakashi's thought process.

"Yeah he can't really do much if he's bound to that futon bed." Boruto agreed with Sakura. However, Sakura's question made Kakashi chuckle as she looked at her superior ninja in surprise.

"I can still train you." Kakashi was no doubt smiling under his mask.

"Wait, how can he do that if he can barely move?" Sarada asked.

"We are ninja so I'm sure Kakashi has something in mind." Mitsuki reminded his teammate.

"Hold on. A little last minute training won't make us strong enough to fight Zabuza. You could barely defeat him even with your Sharingan. We have to be reasonable about this!" Sakura was practically flailing her arms.

"Mom…" Sarada couldn't believe her strong willed mom was so…pessimistic about things. During the whole Shin scenario, when she was outnumbered, she still fought even when it looked like the odds weren't in her favor. Kakashi didn't look too pleased with her attitude, however.

"Sakura, why was I able to stop Zabuza? Because you all helped me. Naruto, you've grown the most." Kakashi smiled through his eyes as those simple words were enough to make Naruto smile and blush bashfully.

"Heh, who knew dad could be so modest?" Boruto snickered at his father's face.

"Well given how he spent most of his life having adults telling him about how no good and a failure he was, hearing kind words from people like Master Iruka and Master Kakashi would throw him for a loop a bit." Mitsuki pointed out as Sasuke and Sakura turned to Naruto. Although silent, Team Konohamaru could tell they were beginning to see Naruto in a new light.

"And it looks like he's starting to have an effect on mom and dad." Sarada smiled as Naruto could barely contain his childish excitement.

"So you've finally noticed sensei. Now things are going to get better, ya know! Believe it!" Naruto beamed, eager to get some training in order to hone his skills and make him even stronger.

"I don't believe it and nothing's gonna change!" A young child's voice yelled from behind Naruto.

Team Seven, Team Konohamaru, Tazuna and Tsunami all turned to see a young boy no older than Konohamaru who was clad in overalls and a white hat.

"Huh? Who's this little shrimp?" Boruto bluntly asked.

"Boruto, would it kill you to be a little more polite?" Sarada asked as Naruto had the same thoughts as his son.

"Huh!? Who are you!?" Naruto pointed at the boy, not liking how much of a downer this boy was.

"Inari, where have you been?" Tazuna held out his arms to his grandfather who happily embraced him.

"Welcome back, grandpa!" Inari happily jumped in his grandfather's arms as his mother came up behind him, obviously unpleased with Inari's tactless words to Team Seven.

"Inari, that was very rude. These ninja helped your grandpa and brought him here safely." Tsunami scolded her son whose facial expressions told everyone that he was in no quick hurry to apologize.

"It's okay, it's okay. I'm rude to them too." Tazuna laughed.

"Well he's not wrong about that." Boruto laughed as Sarada sighed.

"Of course a rude person who find humor in another rude person." Sarada shook her head as Inari gazed at the ninja very coldly. The look in his eyes was enough to put Sarada on edge.

"What's with him? Those eyes…they're not fit for a young boy…" Sarada frowned.

"It's definitely with what's happened with the Land of Waves and Gato." Mitsuki's eyes narrowed.

"Mom, don't you see? These people are gonna die! Gato and his men will come back and find them and wipe them out!" Inari argued with his mother as that was enough for Naruto.

"What did you say, brat!? Listen up, you know what a super ninja is? Well that's me, only a lot better! I'm gonna be Hokage! This Gato or Blato or whatever he's called is no match for a real hero like me!" Naruto bragged though Inari was very unimpressed with Naruto's declaration.

"Hmph. There's no such thing as a hero. You're just full of stupid ideas!" Inari spat as Naruto had to be restrained by Sakura from pummeling the young brat.

"What did you say!?" Naruto was quick to attack the boy and would've was it not for Sakura stopping him.

"Naruto, just calm down!" Sakura held Naruto back as Inari merely scoffed while shooting a cool glare at the Naruto, mainly Naruto.

"If you want to stay alive, you should go back, you should go back where you came from!" Inari spat before walking away, finished with what he had to say.

"…What happened to him?" Boruto asked, not believing such a young boy could be so cold….It reminded him of how Denki was.

"We're gonna find out, one way or another." Sarada reassured her teammate as Mitsuki raised an eyebrow at the expression Sasuke shot Inari's direction. Almost as if his face was showing he understood the chip on the shoulder that Inari had.

"Inari, wait. Where are you going?" Tazuna asked as Inari opened the doors to the room.

"To look out at the ocean. I wanna be alone!" Inari snapped before harshly shutting the door.

Tsunami and Tazuna looked embarrassed by Inari's outburst as they turned to the ninja with eyes full of sadness, no doubt because of what happened to Inari.

"Sorry about that." Tazuna apologized genuinely to the ninja though this wasn't enough to satisfy Naruto as he broke out of Sakura's grip, ignoring her protests to stop as he walked up the steps, having more than a few bones or few to pick with Inari.

"Who does that brat think he is? I'm gonna put him in his place!" Naruto was cracking his knuckles as he finally made his way upstairs before hearing the sound of crying.

"D-daddy…no!" The voice of no doubt Inari was sobbing as Team Konohamaru and Naruto looked to see Inari crying over a picture.

Team Konohamaru looked at the young boy in sympathy.

"…So that's why…." Boruto looked down sadly.

"That would explain why he's the way he is…" Sarada said as Naruto looked close to tears as he was no doubt reminded of his younger self wondering about his parents.

Feeling a bit disheartened, Naruto made his way downstairs before he shook his head, not wanting to worry his team.

"Naruto? What happened?" Sakura asked.

"Oh nothing, haha!" Naruto laughed though Kakashi and Sasuke knew right away that Naruto was lying but they chose not to say anything.

"Well if everyone is taken care of, kindly follow me. Tsunami, you have a pair of walking crutches?" Kakashi asked the women who blinked at the request.

"Hm? Oh well, yes. Wait here." Tsunami left before coming back with a pair of walking crutches.

"Thanks." Kakashi thanked the woman before turning to his team.

"Follow me." Kakashi said as Team Seven followed him to the middle of a forest, a faraway distance away from Tazuna's home.

"Alright, training starts now." Kakashi said as Naruto smiled, eager to start training.

"Right!" Naruto pumped his fists.

"First, we will begin with a review of chakra, the ninja's basic source of power. Understanding chakra is essential." Kakashi stated.

"Way to state the obvious." Boruto snorted.

"Yeah I wonder why they're having Chakra 101 training again." Sarada asked.

"Hmph, we know that." Sasuke unknowingly agreed with his daughter.

"He's right. A long time ago, we learned about…uh….catra…" Naruto said as Boruto and Sarada face-palmed.

"Is he still calling it that?" Boruto muttered.

"How do you get cat from cha?" Sarada added as Kakashi lowered his head while Sakura actually stared at Naruto like he was even crazier than she originally thought.

"Chakra." Kakashi sighed as Naruto laughed him off.

"Go ahead, Sakura." Kakashi passed on the role of teaching to Sakura.

"He's just gonna pass it off to Auntie Sakura?" Boruto asked.

"Well he is lazy." Mitsuki chuckled.

"Alright, Naruto. I'll explain it simply so you can understand. Chakra is the elemental life energy a ninja uses in jutsu. It's the source of all his power. Now this energy has two forms, physical energy which exists in all the cells in the entire body that are all working together and spiritual energy, the primal source of power which is intensified through training and experience. As you see, these two types of chakra must be drawn out and brought together in order to perform jutsu. Notice the interplay between physical and spiritual power. That's the key. Finally hand signs focus and unleash the chakra." Sakura smirked, proud of her knowledge as Sarada beamed at her future mother.

"That's my mom. Pretty much an encyclopedia." Sarada smiled in pride of Sakura. Was her mom perfect? No. But she had a good heart and a great work ethic.

"She probably would've been a better teacher than Shino-Sensei." Mitsuki smiled.

"Totally." Boruto snorted, high-fiving his friend.

"Right on all points. Iruka-Sensei really did have some excellent students." Kakashi praised Sakura who laughed off Kakashi's praise.

"Though it doesn't look like it sunk in for some." Mitsuki laughed at Naruto's buzzed off, confused facial expression.

"Are we surprised?" Sarada sighed.

"Nope." Boruto muttered.

"What's the big deal with all these complicated explanations? The whole point is to learn the jutsu, isn't it?" Naruto asked.

"He's not wrong on that." Boruto agreed with Naruto while Sasuke closed his eyes, his expression of disinterest never wavering.

"Naruto's right for once. We're already using chakra energy in our jutsu." Sasuke said as Kakashi cut his eyes at the two.

"No. You have not mastered this power. You've barely scratched the surface of it." Kakashi stated as Naruto and even Sasuke looked at Kakashi with expressions of surprise.

"What do you mean!?" Naruto asked, his fuse definitely lit.

"Calm down and listen. It's just like Sakura said. You have to draw on physical and spiritual energies and then combine them within yourself. But how do you do that? Each jutsu requires different types of chakra in different proportions. You must select and combine them in exactly the right way. Up to now, you've just guessed at the proportions, hoping they come out right. Even if you produce a lot of chakra, unless you can balance and control it it's all worthless. The jutsu won't work at all or it'll just be a joke." Kakashi explained.

"Sort of like how dad couldn't make a Shadow Clone because he didn't balance out his chakra wavelength enough." Boruto said, remembering just how much Naruto used to suck in making just basic shadow clones.

"Yeah….looks like that rat bastard Mizuki was good for something." Sarada murmured.

"You waste so much energy that way then you're out of chakra and you can't fight at all. You're just a target." Kakashi said as Naruto still looked like a lost fox.

"Uh…so how do we change that, hehe?" Naruto asked.

"Train so hard that controlling your chakra becomes second nature. To achieve this goal, you must be ready to put your life on the line." Kakashi stated, really getting his team's attention on his words.

"…So what do we do?" Sakura asked, trying her best to gulp down her fear.

"Hehehe, climb a tree." Kakashi smiled with a raised finger.

"Climb a tree!?" Naruto, Sakura and even Sasuke exclaimed in surprise.

"It might be asinine to some but this is actually essential especially in controlling chakra." Mitsuki said.

"Though it's definitely not gonna be easy for dad. Though Uncle Sasuke and Auntie Sakura should be fine." Boruto said as Kakashi merely smiled at Team Seven's bewildered expressions.

"That's right but there's just one rule. No hands." Kakashi gestured to the palms of his hands as Team Seven looked even more lost.

"What? You're kidding, right?" Sakura narrowed her eyes at her sensei who looked anything but amused.

"Am I? Let's see." Kakashi said before gathering chakra in his palms before sending it to his feet before he slowly made his way to the top of the tree, much to the astonishment of Team Seven.

"He's climbing…" Naruto murmured with surprised, wide eyes.

"Straight up…And he's only using his feet!" Sakura added in agreement to Naruto.

"And he's doing that with crutches…Master Kakashi really is something…." Sarada muttered as Boruto grinned.

"And I can't wait to see him even further in action the farther we go down these memories!" Boruto pumped his fist, definitely impressed as Kakashi turned to look down on his team.

"Well, you get the idea. Focus the chakra toward the soles of your feet and use it to connect to the tree. This is one way to apply the power of chakra." Kakashi simply said as Sakura took this time to speak up.

"Wait a minute! That's a nice trick but how does it help us fight Zabuza?" Sakura asked the question that both of her teammates were wondering though Kakashi wasn't fazed with her confusion or doubting in the purpose of this training.

"It's the only way to fight him, Sakura. That's the entire goal of this training. First you'll learn to draw a precise amount of chakra to a precise point in your body. This is difficult, even for advanced ninja. This type of climbing requires a subtle mix of physical and spiritual energy. And the bottoms of the feet are the most difficult points to focus chakra. Are you getting the picture? If you can master this, you'll be able to master any jutsu. Well theoretically." Kakashi shrugged at the end of his explanation as Team Seven looked more interested and determined in the training than they were five minutes ago.

"I can only wonder how this will go." Mitsuki asked, more to himself than to his teammates.

"It's definitely gonna be a while." Boruto answered, wishing he had one of his fruit drinks to drink.

"The second point is to learn to maintain your chakra levels. When a ninja is focused in battle, it's even harder to control and maintain his chakra levels, a deadly mistake. To avoid this, maintaining chakra must become second nature, effortless. Well, I can talk about this all day but that won't advance your skills, will it?" Kakashi asked.

"Nope." Boruto answered, already ready to see the rematch of Team Seven versus Zabuza and his masked associate.

"Guess we know why Shino-Sensei thought of you to be such a headache." Sarada snorted, ignoring the glare Boruto sent her.

"You need to apply the power of chakra through training." Kakashi said before pulling out three kunai from his back ninja pouch before throwing them down as they landed right in front of Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke respectively.

"Use the kunai knife to mark the tree at the highest point you can climb without using your hands. Then try to get past that mark the next time and the next. At first, you'll need to run at the tree so your momentum can take you as high as possible until you get used to it. Ready?" Kakashi explained the rules of the training to his team.

"Sounds simple enough." Mitsuki said.

"Yeah but you should know by now with dad around, things are never just 'simple enough'." Boruto snorted, shoving a hand in a pocket.

"And I thought our team was random." Sarada murmured, for a lack of better words.

Naruto eagerly grabbed his kunai while smirking proudly.

"I'm more than ready! This is gonna be no sweat all the way! Believe it! Remember what you said Sensei, I'm the one who's grown the most!" Naruto pointed at Kakashi who tried his best not to roll his eye at the energetic blond.

"You're definitely the one who talks the most now get focused and do it." Kakashi said.

"Burn." Boruto snickered as Naruto's eyebrow twitched at that diss.

"He's not wrong." Mitsuki smiled as Naruto suddenly got serious as he gathered the chakra in his body before sending it to his feet.

"I got it! Charge!" Naruto yelled as he ran to the tree in front of him as Sasuke and Sakura did the same. However, to no one's real surprise he fell on his noggin the second his feet touched the tree.

"Well who didn't see this ending coming?" Boruto deadpanned as Sasuke was able to get higher than Naruto but he realized his limit and used his kunai to mark where he reached.

"It looks like that's his limit." Sarada asked as Mitsuki pointed up ahead.

"Although it looks like Master Sakura has won this little race." Mitsuki stated in amusement as Sakura was quick to call out to her teammates who were stunned to see that Sakura out of all of them was the one who has the best control in chakra.

"Well, looks like the female member of the squad has the most advanced chakra control. Well done Sakura." Kakashi praised his student.

"Hehe, this is fun!" Sakura said more to Sasuke than Naruto.

"Well she was the smartest student in the Academy from my recollection." Mitsuki said.

"And she wants dad to notice." Sarada grinned, hoping to see a sweet moment between her mom and dad. She never got a chance to see a tender moment since her dad would always leave. Hopefully she'd see some in these memories.

Naruto was happy for his teammate but Boruto could tell he was a bit pissed and jealous she completed the training before him while Sasuke merely turned his head away.

"Whatever." Sasuke scoffed as Sakura looked close to tears.

"Oh mom…" Sarada felt pity for her mom while Boruto and Mitsuki snickered.

"Friend zone." Boruto snickered.

"Totally." Mitsuki agreed.

"With how your dad ignores your mom so far in these memories, you really can't be talking!" Sarada snapped.

"Well, not only does Sakura understand chakra but she can control and maintain it as well. We spoke about someone becoming Hokage one day, didn't we? Seems Sakura's got the best chance of that, wouldn't you say? And as for the great Uchiha clan, maybe they're not so great after all." Kakashi smiled as Naruto and Sasuke looked away in shame.

"You know, when I think about it, Master Kakashi's kind of an ass." Sarada deadpanned.

"You mean him shoving his fingers in dad's ass already wasn't an indication?" Boruto asked.

"Shut up, sensei! You talk too much!" Sakura spat at Kakashi before she looked down, pouting her cheeks.

"Mom…" Sarada blinked at just how over the top her mother's reaction to Kakashi was.

Naruto and Sasuke glared at each other as they then resumed their chakra control training for the next two hours before they, especially Naruto, started to get fed up with making no real progress. As Naruto shook his head, he surprisingly made his way to Sakura.

"Uh…hey…you're good at this. How about some advice?" Naruto asked to Sakura who blinked in surprise at Naruto's request, definitely not expecting him to come to her for help.

"But please don't tell Sasuke I asked. Please!" Naruto was practically begging though unbeknownst to him, his loud voice actually got Sasuke's attention who stared at the two in curiosity.

Sakura actually looked like she was pondering this request but she figured if she did this, Naruto might stop being an annoying asshole to her.

Key word, might.

"Alright. Chakra requires spiritual energy so if you get all anxious and frantic, it doesn't work. You have to relax and totally focus on the tree. That's how you get a steady chakra flow in the bottoms of your feet." Sakura said as Naruto blinked before grinning like a fox.

"Yep, definitely a better teacher than Shino-Sensei." Boruto smirked.

"But she probably would punch you even harder than Lord Seventh since you're a bigger pain in the ass." Sarada rolled her eyes as Boruto smirked.

"Actually I got along with Auntie Sakura just fine when I went back to the past. She said I was cooler than dad." Boruto smirked as Sarada cut her eyes at Boruto.

"Oh yeah, right." Sarada scoffed.

With the help of Sakura, Naruto attempted the training again and was gradually making progress but was still behind Sasuke. Getting a bit frustrated, Naruto attempted to gather more chakra before he was finally able to find a happy median and balance in his chakra flow but before he could actually attempt the training again.

"Hey, Naruto!" Sasuke called out, making Naruto fall on his face much to Team Konohamaru's amusement.

"So uncool." Boruto snickered as this obviously didn't sit well with Naruto who ate a mouthful of dirt.

"Ugh! Sasuke, what're you doing!? I was trying to focus my chakra!" Naruto yelled out to Sasuke who actually looked down.

"Well uh…you know the thing is…" Sasuke looked down as Naruto growled at Sasuke, not at all feeling Sasuke right now.

"The thing is what?" Naruto growled, crossing his arms, hoping for Sasuke to get to the point.

"What's with him?" Mitsuki asked before Sasuke turned to the side with an embarrassed blush on his face.

"Dad?" Sarada asked as she tried to stifle her laughter, already getting flashbacks about how much of an ass he made of himself during the whole Parent and Child day festival.

"Y-you know, you asked Sakura for advice when she was here? So…what did she tell you?" Sasuke growled out, completely losing his "cool boy" persona as Boruto and Mituski were snickering at Sasuke's expression as Sarada was surprisingly the one who let out a loud laugh.

"Oh my god, dad. You are so uncool!" Sarada was quick to wipe the tear from her eyes as both of the boys stared at Sarada in surprise before grinning at her.

"Looks like you've found your voice. Congratulations." Mitsuki smiled as Sarada scoffed at the two.

"Oh shush." Sarada admonished Mitsuki as Naruto's eyes widened in surprise before he realized he had two choices. He could be the bigger person and give Sasuke some pointers or he could keep it all to himself just out of spite.

Naturally, the expression on Naruto's face was evident that he chose the latter option rather than the former.

"I'm not telling you!" Naruto spat as Sasuke's eye twitched as he glared at Naruto, wishing he could just shove some lightning into Naruto's chest as the two were engaged in a huge stare down between each other.

"Boys." Sarada rolled her eyes as the two continued their training until they decided to call it an evening and retire before they returned to Tazuna's hut where the two were greeted to the gorgeous sites of all sorts of tasty foods before they eagerly dug into the food, eliciting a disgusted expression from Sakura, an embarrassed smile from Kakashi and a hearty laugh from Tazuna.

"Hey, this is fantastic! It's been ages since we've had so many guests around our table!" Tazuna laughed as Naruto and Sasuke continued putting whatever food they could in their mouths.

"Man it's so nice seeing Uncle Sasuke like this!" Boruto laughed while Sarada didn't share her teammate's amusement.

"And we all how this is going to end." Sarada rolled her eyes as she could tell things were going to definitely come back up so to speak.

"I want some more!" Naruto and Sasuke yelled to Tsunami as they glared at each other with narrowed eyes as lightning flickered between them before the food was slowly coming back up before they puked behind them, much to the disgust of Sarada and the people within the memory watching while Mitsuki and Boruto were having more entertainment watching this than any other movie in the local Leaf Village cinema.

"What did I tell you!?" Sarada face-palmed, although a part of her was seeing her father be so….expressive though Boruto and Mitsuki were nearly on the ground from laughing so hard.

"Man you don't pay for entertainment like this." Boruto wiped a tear from his eye from laughing too hard.

"Indeed. It's so nice seeing Master Sasuke like this." Mitsuki nodded though Sakura was far from amused.

"Don't eat so much if you're gonna puke it up!" Sakura yelled out, though it was more to Naruto than Sasuke.

"I…have to eat." Sasuke declared as he wiped his mouth as he glared at his rival with a cocky smirk which Naruto was all too eager to return.

"And I have to eat more than him. It's the only possible way I'll get strong enough to beat him." Naruto smirked right back as Kakashi looked slightly impressed with their resolve towards each other.

"That's true but puking won't help you." Kakashi said as Tsunami nodded her head.

"Your sensei is right but before you can worry about getting stronger, I do not like having my kitchen filled with vomit so get to it!" Tsunami snapped at the two handing Naruto and Sasuke a mop and bucket respectively.

Naruto and Sasuke gulped before getting to work, not wanting to try the woman's patience.

"Man she really knows how to make those two work, huh?" Mitsuki asked, clearly bemused though Boruto was actually sweating.

"…She…reminds me of mom…" Boruto muttered as Sarada rolled her eyes.

"Oh c'mon." Sarada scoffed, not believing Boruto's stories about Hinata being a scary mom.

"I ain't lying, ya know!" Boruto snapped as Naruto and Sasuke quickly got to work before finishing their vomit clean up rather quickly as tea was served to the whole family though Sakura took her time to notice a picture that hung on the wall right behind the dining table.

"Excuse me, this picture is torn. Is there a reason for that?" Inari asked as Tsunami, Tazuna and Inari immediately stopped what they were doing as Sakura walked up to get closer to it as Team Konohamaru looked to see a picture of a younger Inari surrounded by Tazuna, Tsunami and another man whose face was ripped off.

"That must be Inari's dad…" Sarada put her hands on her hips as she leaned closer into the picture.

"And he looks so happy…" Boruto frowned as he clenched his fists as he already knew what took away the young boy's happiness.

"No doubt because of Gato." Mitsuki shook his head as Sakura turned to Inari.

"Inari, you kept glancing at it all through dinner. It looks like there was someone else in the picture, but they got torn out. I mean, that's kind of strange, isn't it?" Sakura asked as Inari, Tazuna and Tsunami looked down even further, something that didn't go unnoticed by Kakashi.

"…It's my husband…." Tsunami explained as Tazuna decided to add on to his daughter's explanation.

"They used to call him a hero in this land…." Tazuna added as Boruto's interest was piqued even more.

"A hero, huh?" Boruto raised an eyebrow. Although this was too much for Inari as he hastily left the table, much to the concern of those in and outside of the memory.

"Inari, where are you going?" Tsunami asked her son in concern although she received no answer as he slammed the door hard.

"Poor little guy…." Sarada frowned, wishing she could comfort the young boy.

"I already know how this ended. That Gato guy came and when Inari's dad tried standing against him, he killed him…" Boruto clenched his jaw, remembering how his father nearly died against Momoshiki and Urashiki.

Tsunami turned to her father with a look of consternation on her face.

"Father, you can't talk about him like that in front of Inari, you know that!" Tsunami nearly snapped at her father before running after her son.

Team Seven were lost for words as they had no idea what to say as Tazuna's eyes slowly watered.

"Inari's so…I mean, what happened to him?" Sakura frowned as Team Seven turned to Tazuna, clearly interested in Tazuna's tell.

"Hmm…is there a story behind this?" Kakashi asked as Tazuna looked conflicted, as if to try to find the right words to say.

"He wasn't his real father. He came into our family later. And he brought so much happiness. He and Inari were very close….In those days, Inari used to laugh all the time." Tazuna started off his explanation of Inari's backstory as Naruto tilted his head in confusion.

"Huh?" Naruto asked.

"But then…." Tazuna grit his teeth as tears left his eyes much to the surprise of everyone watching.

"It…all that ended…He never laughs or smiles anymore….ever since the day everything changed…." Tazuna said with a bitter expression on his face before wiping his face and composing himself.

"The word courage was stolen from this island. We were left feeling powerless, hopeless and Inari suffered the most, ever since that day, ever since it happened…." Tazuna growled out as Team Konohamaru and Team Seven were even more intrigued in the tale of Inari's suffering.

"Oh man, what happened?" Boruto asked.

"Guess we're about to find out." Mitsuki said.

"Tell us. What happened to Inari?" Kakashi asked.

"First you need to know about the man, his father. The man who taught us the word courage, who was a hero in this land." Tazuna asked, taking his glasses off and wiping his eyes again.

"A hero…really?" Naruto asked, definitely interested in this tale.

"You can decide that for yourself. He came here about three years ago. Inari had to deal with a bunch of people who bullied him over a puppy he had and even went as far as to throw his puppy in the water below in an attempt to goad him. However, he hesitated at first but when he tried jumping after him the puppy nearly drowned. Interestingly enough at that exact moment, his puppy Pooch figured out how to dog paddle." Tazuna began his backstory.

"Wow…talk about a cruel twist of Irony…" Mitsuki murmured.

"I know…..I couldn't imagine being abandoned by a dog…like…dogs are man's best friend!" Boruto said as Sarada frowned sadly at her teammate.

"Well technically he abandoned Pooch first…" Sarada reminded Boruto.

"Yeah but…" Boruto was about to argue with Sarada before Tazuna started speaking again.

"He was thankfully saved from drowning by the man who would later become his father. His name was Kaiza, a simple fisherman who'd come here from another land to follow his dreams. After that, Inari and Kaiza were inseparable. The boy had never known his real father so you can imagine what it meant to him to have Kaiza in his life. He looked up to him and followed in his footsteps like a real father and son. Kaiza spent more and more time with us until he just naturally became a member of our family. And then when this town needed him, he became something more. He would always tell Inari, 'Even if you have to put your life on the line, protect it with both arms, never give in!' From that time on, Kaiza was considered a hero in this land. He taught us all the meaning of courage and Inari was so proud to be his son.

"Man…this Kaiza sounds like one hell of a guy!" Sarada smiled as she was immediately reminded of her hero-worshipping of Naruto she had as a child and even still to today.

"And look how happy dad is." Boruto smiled as Naruto looked ready to jump out of his seat in excitement.

"However…it looks like those happy times are coming to an end…" Mitsuki pointed as Tazuna's fond expression was morphing into that of sadness. Although he wouldn't let himself cry.

"But it wasn't long that that when Gato showed up and took over. He terrorized the whole village and only Kaiza stood up to him. Gato couldn't have a local hero getting in his way. It took his whole gang to stop one man…." Tazuna explained as disgust filled both Team Seven as well as Team Konohamaru.

"That bastard! He couldn't stop him on his own so he had to gang up on him!?" Boruto growled, wishing he could go and down that detestable bastard himself.

"It's horrible." Sarada crinkled her nose.

"They even went as far as to take his arms…and once they were done…he was publically executed…a cruel reminder to those who would try to oppose Gato…And since then Inari has changed…as has Tsunami and all our people….We lost our will…" Tazuna looked down as everyone listening processed this information.

"To be so horrible….I hope that bastard gets his just desserts!" Boruto spat, disgust evident in his voice.

"Well just keep in mind that since we don't hear anything from him today, that means that Team Seven was successful in thrawting his plans." Mitsuki reminded Boruto with a soft smile.

"Yeah…thanks, Mitsuki." Boruto smiled as Naruto's expression was blank as he had his head on his crossed arms. Before Team Konohamaru knew anything, the memory flashed.

"…_D-do you….think…I can…become Hokage?" _A three year old Naruto asked Hiruzen during their first meeting as the memory flashed again to Naruto smirking at Iruka after saving him during the whole Test of Courage scenario.

"_That's it! Like I've already decided, I'll become a ninja stronger than the Fourth Hokage! And then everyone in the village will have to acknowledge how great I am!" _Naruto promised Iruka before the memory flashed again to present time after Naruto met Inari.

"_Hmph. There's no such thing as a hero. You're just full of stupid ideas!"_ Inari spat at Team Seven with disdain and disgust evident in his voice as the memory finally returned to the present.

Before anyone knew anything, Naruto tried getting up only to fall on his face.

"What does he think he's doing!?" Sarada asked, as she had an idea of what Naruto was gonna do.

"What're you doing down there, Naruto?" Sakura asked, actually concerned for Naruto's well-being.

"You better take the day off. No more training. You've used too much chakra. If you push any harder, it could kill you." Kakashi advised his student.

"Like that'll stop him." Boruto snorted.

"I'm gonna prove it!" Naruto ignored Kakashi's warning, getting Tazuna to raise a curious eyebrow.

"Prove what?" Sakura asked as Naruto literally forced himself to his feet as he clenched his fists.

"I'll prove that….that it's true….that in this world…there are real heroes!" Naruto declared.

"Of course he would." Sarada face-palmed.

"Heh, they clearly don't know dad. Once he's made his mind up…" Boruto began.

"Nothing will stop him." Mitsuki finished for his friend, both wearing amused smiled.

"A hero?" Kakashi tilted his head as Tazuna actually stared at Naruto in stunned silence.

"That won't mean much if you're dead from chakra exhaustion, Naruto! Hey Naruto!" Sakura said before Naruto was quickly out of the house before Sakura could say any more.

Naruto then made his way to the same forest where he and his team trained vigorously for the last couple of days.

"That guy…he was a real hero….and he didn't get it by sitting on his ass and that's what I'm gonna show Inari…he lost his dad but I won't let him go through any more pain!" Naruto vowed as Team Konohamaru all smiled at the young boy.

"That's Lord Seventh…always so selfless." Sarada gleamed as Boruto rolled his eyes.

"Your toner for him is coming out in waves." Boruto scoffed as Sarada was quick to smack his skull.

"Shut up!" Sarada growled as Naruto immediately went to work in trying to perfect his chakra control as he was actually able to make progress in his tree walking training. But….exhaustion finally got to the blond knucklehead and he was out as soon as the night left and dawn came.

"And of course he's out, the idiot." Boruto snickered though his teammates were quick to call him out.

"Weren't you the same one who literally worked themselves to the point where you slept during a babysitting mission because Master Sasuke started training you?" Mitsuki asked as Boruto sweated nervously.

"Yeah, before throwing rocks, why don't you make sure your hands are clean!" Sarada added as Boruto laughed sheepishly.

However, as Naruto enjoyed a nice, early morning nap, a woman came walking to Naruto.

"Who is she? A rogue ninja?" Sarada asked, immediately on guard as she noticed the woman had no headband on her.

"I dunno…she looks so gentle but looks can be deceiving…." Boruto put his hand to his chin in thought as Mitsuki's eyes narrowed at the mysterious person.

"She seems…kind of…familiar…." Mitsuki said as the women knelt down to Naruto as she held out a hand before gently shaking the collar of Naruto's jacket.

"You'll catch cold if you sleep here. Wake up…" The woman said as Team Konohamaru's eyes immediately widened at the sound of the voice.

"Hey, it's that person who was with Zabuza!" Boruto pointed to her with a spazzed out expression.

"Oh my god you're right! But Master Kakashi said that was a male…" Sarada pointed out as Boruto just looked lost.

"….He's more beautiful than some of the girls in the Academy…" Boruto muttered as Sarada and Mitsuki couldn't argue that logic.

"But why would he make himself so beautiful?" Boruto asked as Mitsuki shrugged.

"Whatever works for some people." Mitsuki answered as Boruto and Sarada just looked at each other before shrugging as Naruto groggily got up before noticing the man though with his feminine appearance, Naruto immediately thought he was a girl and seemed to be smitten with him if the blush on his cheek wasn't evident enough.

"Uh…who the heck are you…I mean uh…hi there, where did you come from? You know, what're you doing out here and all that?" Naruto asked as it was obvious he was trying to hit on the woman lookalike as Sarada and Boruto rolled their eyes as Mitsuki chuckled.

"Oh brother." Sarada rolled her eyes.

"Think he knows?" Mitsuki laughed.

"Obviously not." Sarada deadpanned as Boruto suddenly smirked.

"I can't wait to see his reaction if he learns that's a guy. Not to mention, the voice is the same as the guy who 'killed' Zabuza." Boruto said as he couldn't believe even his dad was so dense.

"I think we've established that Lord Seventh wasn't all that bright." Mitsuki laughed as Boruto shook his head.

"Uh you mean still isn't." Boruto corrected his teammate.

"I'm gathering herbs." The man smiled at Naruto who tilted his head in confusion.

"Herbs?" Naruto asked in confusion.

"Yes, that's right. They're for treating illnesses in human wounds." The man explained as Naruto grinned.

"Why don't I help you then!?" Naruto suggested much to Boruto's ire.

"Right, so you can hit on him!" Boruto scoffed as the man was all too happy to help this man who he thought was a woman.

"Huh…you start work early, huh sis?" Naruto asked, plopping down to have a seat as he helped the person gather herbs.

"I like it early, it's calm. But I didn't think I'd find anyone sleeping out here in the woods." The person tilted his head at Naruto as Naruto merely chuckled in response.

"I'm training!" Naruto stated in a matter of fact voice as the man just blinked at Naruto.

"Are you a ninja? Because I noticed that headband you're wearing. Or are you just making a fashion statement?" The man asked.

"Well it can't be a fashion statement since his fashion sucks a huge one." Boruto snickered.

"Like your dress is any better!" Sarada chided her teammate though Naruto's cheeks reddened thinking the person whom he thought was a woman was hitting on him.

"You noticed that? All right. Only super-cool ninja can wear these!" Naruto declared as the person gave a bemused smirk.

"Oh really? I see. That's very impressive. But does that mean you're training for something dangerous?" The person asked as their look became downcast.

"Dangerous is the understatement of a century." Sarada rolled her eyes.

"I'm just developing my skills so I can get stronger." Naruto answered as he closed his eyes with a big smile.

"You seem very strong now. Isn't that enough?" The man pondered as Naruto shook his head in defiance.

"No, no! I need to get stronger and stronger. I have to keep practicing." Naruto explained his stance as the look in the man's eyes softened.

"How so? Why is it so important?" The man edged Naruto in his question though Naruto didn't look too bothered by all the questions hurled his way.

"So I can become the best ninja in my village and everyone will know who I am and they'll all respect me! There's also a certain person, a kid that I have to prove something to!" Naruto winked much to Team Konohamaru's amusement as they knew exactly who Naruto was talking about.

"Dad…" Sarada mused.

"And he's definitely proven himself to Uncle Sasuke and the villagers now." Boruto smirked as the man inched closer.

"So are you doing it for this certain person or are you doing all this training for yourself?" The man asked as Naruto merely blinked in confusion.

"Uh…huh…." Naruto's eyes narrowed in confusion as the man found Naruto's response nothing short of humorous as he chuckled.

"Hey, what're you laughing about? What's so funny?" Naruto asked.

"Well he's humorously goofy like his son." Mitsuki smiled.

"Yea-HEY!" Boruto yelled, clearly offended with Mitsuki's comment.

"Is there someone who's precious to you?" The man asked.

"Someone who-what're you saying, sis? What do you mean 'precious'?" Naruto asked, confused with the question.

"You see, when a person has something precious that they want to protect, then they become genuinely strong." The man explained his stance as Naruto was silent, taking in the man's words before Team Konohamaru saw flashes of the Third Hokage, Ayame and Teuchi, Konohmaru, Iruka, Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi.

"You know…even though this guy is working with someone like Zabuza…he doesn't seem all that bad?" Boruto asked.

"Yeah…he seems like a genuinely kind person….I wonder…why he would end up with someone like Zabuza?" Sarada asked.

"Probably maybe because like how Team Seven helps give Lord Seventh a purpose, maybe…working with this Zabuza character gives this person a purpose too?" Mitsuki theorized as Sarada didn't look satisfied with that answer.

"But someone like Zabuza?" Sarada asked as Boruto started to speak up.

"Maybe…things aren't as black and white as they seem?" Boruto suggested.

"Right. Let's see how things play out in these memories." Mitsuki nodded with Boruto as Naruto finally seemed to understand what the man was trying to tell him.

"Yeah…I hear you! I know exactly what you're saying!" Naruto grinned as the man gave Naruto a soft smile before picking up his basket of herbs and was preparing to take his leave.

"You will get strong, very strong. Goodbye, We'll meet again…sometime." The man turned his back as Team Konohamaru could hear sadness at the end of his voice.

"That's so sad…you think Lord Seventh figured it out?" Sarada asked as Boruto frowned.

"As much as I like to say how dumb dad is, I think he sadly did…..I wonder if he's still alive…" Boruto asked at the end though he had a feeling that the man might be six feet under.

Naruto didn't seem to notice as he seemed to gain another friend in his eyes before the man suddenly stopped.

"Oh, by the way, I'm a boy." The man finally admitted as this news obviously didn't sit well with Naruto.

"No way! He's prettier than Sakura!" Naruto exclaimed, holding his face with an expression of pure horror on his face as Team Konohamaru practically fell back from laughing.

"Okay I feel bad for mom…." Sarada tried to control her laughing fit.

"But he's not wrong." Mitsuki grinned.

"You don't pay for entertainment like this!" Boruto snickered as he wiped the tears out of his eyes.

"Where's Master Sasuke and the others at, anyways?" Mitsuki asked as Naruto was so far into his incoherent mumbling that he didn't even notice Sasuke coming.

"Speak of the devil!" Sarada exclaimed though she noticed Sasuke didn't look too happy to see Naruto.

"Whoa, I've seen a lot of weird things in my life before but this one takes the cake…" Naruto crossed his arms as Sasuke had no idea what Naruto was talking about nor did he have any interest as to what Naruto was murmuring about and as such he clocked him on his skull to get him back to reality.

"Ow! Hey what did you do that for!?" Naruto growled at Sasuke who merely crossed his arms as he gave him his trademark look of annoyance.

"Hey twerp, did you just forget about breakfast? You're such a loser." Sasuke scoffed as Naruto laughed as Naruto's stomach took that point to growl at him as Naruto chuckled while Sasuke gave Naruto a look of utter consternation.

"I think he's regretting giving him that food all that while ago in the bell test." Mitsuki smiled.

"Oh yeah by the way, can you bring Sakura and Kakashi-Sensei here?" Naruto asked as Sasuke looked surprised by this question.

"Why?" Sasuke asked in mild interest.

"Just do it!" Naruto yelled as Sasuke's look of irritation morphed into one of defeat.

"Fine…" Sasuke sighed before turning around as Team Konohamaru could've sworn they heard Sasuke mutter, "Maybe I shouldn't have given him my lunch all those months ago…"

"Welp, you were right, Mitsuki!" Boruto laughed at his sensei's plight.

"I just wonder when they start actually becoming friends rather than literal cats and dogs." Sarada muttered as Naruto decided to get started on his training before much to their surprise, he was close to the top of the tree by only a little bit more work!

"Whoa, that's my dad!" Boruto laughed as he was sincerely proud of his father.

"One step at a time." Mitsuki added, smiling as Sakura and Kakashi were nothing short of shocked at Naruto's progress in such a short amount of time.

"Whoa…Naruto can climb that high now using his chakra? That's great!" Sakura exclaimed as this progress was beyond anything she ever expected. This was definitely the start of her moving on from her notion of Naruto being the same idiot that he was back in the Academy.

"Hmm…" Kakashi's visible eye softened as he was definitely seeing Naruto in a whole other light.

"What do you think? High enough for you guys? I mean, it's a long way down, right!?" Naruto smirked before he started to slowly fall the minute his foot touched the tree branch he was on.

"Oh shit!" Boruto and Sarada exclaimed with wide blank eyes as Sakura and Kakashi both gave looks of panic before he immediately caught himself by the soles of his feet under the branch.

"Haha, just kidding! You guys really fell for it!" Naruto laughed at the expense of his teammates as Kakashi and Sakura both looked like their hearts had jumped from their chests though they weren't laughing at Naruto's joke.

"That dick! Though are we really surprised?" Boruto calmed himself down.

"This is going to end badly." Mitsuki bluntly stated.

"Yeah, no kidding." Sarada nodded.

"We were worried about you, Naruto!" Sakura spat, ready to storm up to the tree and clonk Naruto's noggin herself.

"…Why do I think this is going to end badly?" Kakashi deadpanned as Naruto's snickering continued before his feet literally plopped from the tree.

"What did I tell you!?" Sarada yelled as Naruto was screaming as it looked like he was falling to his death.

At least before Sasuke came right up to catch him in the nick of time.

"Thank god…" Sarada breathed a sigh in relief.

"Leave it to Uncle Sasuke to save the day." Boruto rolled his eyes.

"You really are a total loser, Naruto." Sasuke stated as Naruto growled at him.

"Sasuke!" Naruto glared at the Uchiha, not at all happy to see saved by Sasuke.

"All right Sasuke, you're the best!" Sakura gushed as Kakashi looked lost by the whole thing before managing a small smile.

"If I'm still sane by the time I finish their training, it'll be a miracle." Kakashi said, more to himself than anyone else.

"No kidding. And I thought our team was random enough…" Sarada muttered.

"Hm? Whatever do you mean?" Mitsuki turned to the female with a smile on his face.

"Yeah! We happen to take offense with that statement!" Boruto spat as Sarada turned her head from Boruto, knowing that was more than enough to get under his skin.

With everything cooled down, Naruto and Sasuke resumed their training before they were finally able to reach the top of the tree by nightfall.

The giant full moon illuminated all the trees in the forest as the brightness of the moon was reminiscent of the feelings of happiness and satisfaction that both Naruto and Sasuke had.

"Heh…they finally reached the top." Boruto smirked.

"Well with enough hard work, you'll definitely succeed." Sarada added with a smile as Sasuke chose this time to break the comfortable silence between him and Naruto.

"Let's go back." Sasuke announced as Naruto actually felt like agreeing with Sasuke this time.

"Alright!" Naruto chuckled, not feeling like arguing with Sasuke. As the two returned down below, they noticed they could barely walk by themselves and so, begrudgingly, they carried each other on their shoulders before they finally reached Tazuna's house as everyone turned to the two in surprise that they would be out so late.

"What have you been up to? You look like something the cat dragged in?" Tazuna bluntly asked the two.

"Okay rude." Sarada muttered to herself though neither Sasuke nor Naruto looked bothered by Tazuna's statement.

"Hehe, we both made it. We made it all the way to the top!" Naruto grinned, fully proud of himself and even Sasuke as everyone, sans Inari, actually looked impressed with their progress.

"Good, now we move on. Starting tomorrow, you're both bodyguards for Tazuna." Kakashi announced as Naruto and even Sasuke smiled at the good news Kakashi announced to the two.

"Haha, all right!" Naruto cheered before he made the two accidentally fall back on their butts.

"Ugh! You are such a loser!" Sasuke growled at Naruto as everyone laughed at the two except for Inari.

"And it's still the same years later. Though I wonder who won their contest?" Boruto asked as his teammates stared at him in confusion.

"Contest?" Mitsuki asked.

"Yeah, when Uncle Sasuke first started training me, he mentioned something about a contest between him and dad but I never really understood what they meant." Boruto shrugged as Sarada sighed.

"Sounds like them…" Sarada sighed.

"Somethings will never change." Mitsuki smiled as Naruto and Sasuke picked each other up before giving each other glares of disgust.

Once everything was calmed down, Naruto and Team Seven happily ate their dinner before Tazuna decided to speak up once everyone had gotten their stomach filled.

"In a few more days the bridge will be finished. I have you to thank for that." Tazuna gave the team a look of pure appreciation.

"You've all done great but you've got to be careful." Tsunami added in response with her father.

"I've been meaning to ask you this but I haven't had the chance until now. Why did you stay and protect me even after you found out I lied to bring you here?" Tazuna asked as Kakashi merely stared at him.

"'Those who stray from the path of justice have no courage but under the wing of a strong leader, cowardice cannot survive.'" Kakashi definitely quoted something as both Tazuna and Tsunami stared at Kakashi in confusion, clearly not familiar with the quote.

"That was a quote from the First Hokage." Kakashi asked.

"Basically in a nutshell, we as ninja would never ignore those in help. To do so would make us just as immoral and horrible as that Gato guy." Boruto smiled.

"Exactly. To ignore someone in need would be just as horrible as those that we talk down to." Sarada added as Inari merely stared at Naruto before he clenched his jaw as tears, angry tears, coursed down his face.

"Hey….what's wrong with Inari?" Sarada frowned in concern.

"But why?" Sarada muttered as this was enough to wake up Naruto who had dozed off after having his dinner.

"Hm? What did you say?" Naruto asked, starting to get fed up with how pessimistic Inari was being.

"All this stupid training is just a waste of time. Gato's got a whole army! They'll beat you down and destroy you! These cool things you all say, they don't mean anything! No matter what you do the strong always win and the weak always lose!" Inari yelled as everyone in the memory gave the young boy looks of sympathy and sadness.

Well everyone except for Naruto who scoffed before turning his head away.

"Just speak for yourself. It won't be like that for me. You got that?" Naruto said calmly though Boruto knew that he was seconds from getting up and pinning Inari to the wall behind him.

"Why don't you be quiet!? Looking at you makes me sick! You don't know anything about this country! You're just butting in! Always laughing and playing around! You don't know what it's like to suffer and be treated like dirt!" Inari yelled as even Team Konohamaru were starting to get fed up with how insensitive Inari was being.

"Okay losing his father is one thing but to say other people don't understand his suffering?" Sarada frowned at Inari.

"That's a low blow. Especially with everything that dad went through." Boruto glared at Inari as that seemed to strike something as Naruto's arm twitched as the memory flashed to where Team Konohamaru could see a young Naruto getting rejected by the villagers of the Leaf Village.

"_Look it's him! It's that boy!" _The villagers spat as the scene then flashed to Naruto running with kids in the park before their parents pulled their children away from Naruto.

"_What're you doing!? I told you not to play with him!" _A mother harshly scolded her daughter as the memory then flashed to Naruto staring in confusion at Mizuki who jeered down from here on the tree branch he stood on.

"_You are the Nine Tailed Fox! They've all been sneaking around, hiding things from you your whole life. Didn't you think it was weird how they treated you? Like dirt! Like they hated you for just being alive!" _Mizuki spat as the memory returned back to the present as Naruto looked like he had to restrain himself from walking up and smacking Inari by literally holding back everything.

"Listen to yourself, whining and complaining like some sorry little victim! You can whimper all day for all I care. You're nothing but a coward!" Naruto spat at Inari as he gave him a look of utter disdain on his face. Not the playful disgust he had when bickering with Sasuke but the look on his face spoke like he genuinely hated this kid.

"Naruto! You went too far!" Sakura scolded Naruto who ignored her before leaving as he made his way upstairs.

"That…was pretty harsh…." Sarada frowned. Yes, Naruto had a reasonable alibi for being upset but to tell a little boy he was nothing but a coward.

"It might be harsh but it's the truth. Rather than doing something, he's just whining about it." Boruto said.

Naruto made his way upstairs before throwing off his clothes and getting into his pajamas as he blankly stared at the ceiling ahead as the memory flashed to a young Naruto looking upset after Hiruzen gave him the usual stipend he would give him at the beginning of every month.

"_Old Man…why don't I have any parents?" _A young Naruto asked Hiruzen before the memory flashed back to the present.

"That kid…" Naruto turned his head to the side before exhaustion took over and he was out. Even when his teammates woke up, Naruto was still out.

"Man…looks like that training really did wear him out…" Boruto frowned in concern for his father as even Team Seven looked concerned at Naruto's sleeping state.

"Kakashi-Sensei…Naruto's really out of it, huh?" Sakura frowned as Team Konohamaru noticed that was one of the first times that Sakura was actually concerned about Naruto rather than prioritizing Sasuke over him.

"Well it can't be helped. Excessive training without breaks will overwhelm anyone no matter how much passion they have." Kakashi stated in a matter of fact voice.

"No kidding." Boruto said, remembering how often the Rasengan training would wear him out.

"Oh my….he's still out?" Tsunami walked into the room as she looked at Naruto in concern. It would be weird to some that despite insulting her son so harshly, she didn't look the least bit angry at Naruto.

"Unfortunately. Well we can put off Tazuna's body-guarding until later." Kakashi said as Tsunami shook her head.

"Nonsense. Go guard my dad since Sasuke and Sakura seem pretty sharp themselves." Tsunami said as Sasuke and Sakura smiled at her comment.

"Damn right we are!" Sakura smirked alongside Sasuke though he was silent.

"Are you sure, ma'am?" Kakashi asked as Tsunami smiled at the three.

"Of course. Continue on with your mission. Naruto will be fine." Tsunami reassured the three as Team Kakashi decided to put their collective faith in Tsunami.

"Okay, I leave Naruto in your hands then." Kakashi said as Tsunami then frowned at Kakashi.

"What about you? You're still recovering yourself?" Tsunami asked as Kakashi waved off her concern with a smile.

"Why? Do I look wobbly? I'll be okay." Kakashi smiled as Tazuna decided to get the show on the road.

"Come on. Let's go." Tazuna said as Team Seven minus Naruto left with Tazuna.

"Something tells me Lord Seventh won't see it from their perspective when he wakes up." Mitsuki laughed.

"Nope." Sarada agreed, wondering what made Naruto take such a chill pill when he got older.

Team Konohamaru then watched as Naruto slowly woke up before the first thing he noticed was him alone in an empty room all by himelf.

"Why didn't somebody wake me up!?" Naruto yelled.

"Geez, would it kill him to use his inside voice?" Boruto cringed, wiggling his finger in his ear.

"What'd I tell you two?" Mitsuki grinned as Naruto wasted no time, running to the kitchen, hoping he would find his team in there having breakfast only to come up with nothing.

"Where is everybody!? Where'd they all go!?" Naruto turned his head from side to side as he desperately tried searching for his teammates as Tsunami turned to him from the dishes she was washing.

"Oh, Naruto. Your sensei wanted to let you rest. You've got the day off." Tsunami smiled as Naruto was far from appreciative of his sensei's request.

"I knew it! They ditched me!" Naruto yelled before he was literally dressed and out of the house in a flash.

"See you!" Naruto closed the door as he jumped from branch to branch as he definitely had a huge bone to pick with his team.

"They could've woken me up!" Naruto growled before noticing something below.

"Hmm? What's that?" Naruto asked as he touched down below to find a boar carved out so much it resembled a carved out pig.

"What's that?" Boruto asked.

"A slashed pig?" Sarada raised an eyebrow as Mitsuki also noticed something peculiar.

"Not only that but look." Mitsuki pointed to the forest behind Naruto. There were slash marks rampant.

"Hey! Those lead back to Old Man Tazuna's house!" Boruto noted as he immediately had an idea of what was going to happen.

"You think it's that Zabuza guy?" Boruto asked as Sarada took note and examined the slash marks.

"No, these marks aren't thick enough for Zabuza's sword." Sarada's eyes narrowed.

"That's right. It could be that Gato has more henchmen under his control." Mitsuki said.

"Hey wait, what the hell happened here? This carved out pig? And those slash marks?" Naruto asked to himself before his eyes widened in horror.

"Oh no! Tsunami! Inari!" Naruto immediately hopped tail as he desperately jumped back to Tazuna's house as fast as he could go.

"It's nice to know he doesn't hate Inari." Sarada smiled, relieved that Naruto wouldn't leave Inari to die. It just wasn't in his character.

"I don't think he hates Inari but just wanted to give him a nice, wake up call." Boruto also smiled, knowing Naruto would never leave anyone to die.

"Oh no! Better head back! I just hope I'm not too late!" Naruto was praying he wouldn't go back to finding Tsunami and Inari sliced up or decapitated.

As soon as he was near Tazuna's house he saw Inari run to two thuggish looking men who had Tsunami's arms wrapped behind her, a clear hostage before knocking her out.

"Those bastards!" Boruto growled.

"And what is he doing!? He can't do anything against a pair of grown man with swords!" Sarada exclaimed, nearly having a heart attack.

"Calm down. Lord Seventh will make sure nothing happens to him." Mitsuki smiled and before anything knew anything, in a flash, Inari was spared from a sliced up death and was moved to safety alongside his mother as the men were surprised to find out they sliced a wooden log.

"A Substitution Jutsu!" One of the men with white hair reminiscent of Mizuki gasped out.

"The woman! She's gone!" The other man with an eyepatch also noted.

"Sorry I'm a little late! But you know, heroes usually show up at the last minute." Naruto stated to Inari who he had in his arms gasped in happiness as he looked close to shedding tears of happiness at the sight of the orange clad ninja.

"Naruto, it's you!" Inari gasped out.

"Of course he just has to make a flashy entrance." Sarada rolled her eyes.

"Who cares about that? He saved Inari!" Boruto grinned as Naruto gave Inari a warm smile.

"Inari, you did great. When you charged, they forgot about your mom for a minute. That gave me the chance to use a cool jutsu to get her away from them." Naruto explained as Inari looked close to tears, relieved that his mother was okay before asking him the next question that was on his mind.

"Naruto, how did you know those samurai guys were coming here?" Inari asked Naruto.

"Uh, in the forest, I found a boar that had been attacks and the trees were all cut up too, like someone had been practicing with a sword or something. The cuts led back to the house so I followed them here." Naruto explained his small little side quest as Inari actually looked impressed.

"That was really smart." Inari noted.

"Blah, blah. It's one of those puny brats Tazuna hired." The swordsman with the eyepatch scoffed at Naruto, not at all intimidated by his presence.

"Get him!" His white haired companion said as they both charged him.

"This is gonna be a cake walk." Sarada snorted as the two men didn't even notice the two incoming Shadow Clones behind them.

"They're coming!" Inari said as Naruto wasn't scared in the slightest.

"I wouldn't worry about them." Boruto put his hands behind his head, feeling a twinge of pity for the two swordsmen.

"Ugh! Try something else!" The white haired man drew his sword back, ready to slice off Naruto's head before he turned to the both of them with a confident smirk.

"I did." Naruto simply said and before the two swordsmen knew anything they were immediately kicked in their square in their faces, knocking the two men out.

"And that's the match." Mitsuki smiled.

"Y-you did it!" Inari exclaimed in surprise.

"Damn right he did!" Boruto snickered as Naruto laughed as he pumped his fist back before shooting his forward.

"Yeah, believe it!" Naruto beamed before the two boys shared a nice, hearty laugh with each other.

"I'm glad all that's over. But you know something? Lord Seventh doesn't say 'Believe It' anymore." Sarada said.

"Yeah I wonder why that is?" Boruto pondered.

"It could be that he simply grew out of it." Mitsuki shrugged as Naruto looked out to the sea once the two boys calmed down.

"Oh yeah, by the way, sorry about yesterday. Hehe, calling you a coward was pretty mean, I guess. Anyway, it's not true, you know?" Naruto smiled at Inari before patting his head and rubbing it affectionately.

"Because you are pretty brave, you know." Naruto gave Inari one of the brightest grins he could.

"Oh Lord Seventh…" Sarada smiled, remembering how he comforted her after the whole Shin mother debacle.

Naruto's smile dropped as he noticed Inari whimpering as he tried to fight back his tears.

"Darn it! I promised myself I wouldn't cry anymore! You're gonna make fun of me again and call me a baby but I can't stop!" Inari sobbed as he tried wiping his tears away with his hands to no avail.

"It's okay to cry when you're happy." Boruto smiled, remembering how he cried when Naruto praised his advance in the Chunin Exams.

Naruto merely stared out to see as his eyes softened before the team saw a flash and it was the morning after Naruto had defeated Mizuki when Iruka finally allowed him to graduate.

"_Congratulations! You graduate!" _Iruka smiled with the utmost pride in Naruto who tackled him in a bear hug, crying in happiness before the memory flashed back to the present time.

"What're you talking about? You're happy. What's wrong with that? Hehe, when you're happy, it's okay to cry. Really, it is." Naruto grinned as Inari continued to let tears fall.

"Naruto…" Inari whimpered as Naruto grinned as Inari before turning his back on him, already knowing that if a couple of ruffians attacked Inari and his mother at their remote home, Zabuza and his lackey were already on the move again.

"Okay! I can leave you in charge of things now, right?" Naruto asked Inari, though he already knew he could put his faith in Inari to man the fort while he and Team Seven were gone.

"Yeah!" Inari shook his head vigorously, ready to protect his mother and his country.

"Good! Then I'm going over to the bridge! It's not easy being a hero, believe it!" Naruto smirked, ready for his rematch against Zabuza and his lackey.

"Believe it!" Inari pumped his fist at Naruto's back as Team Konohamaru smiled at the exchange.

"And it looks like Lord Seventh has won over yet another person." Mitsuki smiled.

"Well he has a way with words after all." Boruto grinned as Naruto jumped from tree branch to branch.

"I hope he's ready…" Sarada muttered to herself in worry.

"Like Mitsuki said, since we don't hear anything about that Zabuza guy, he was obviously stopped here." Boruto reminded Sarada.

"Right but how?" Mitsuki asked as they could see the bridge in closer view.

"There it is!" Boruto pointed at the bridge but he was quick to notice two things. One, there was a thick mist around the bridge.

And also…

"It feels chilly…." Sarada cringed.

"It must be because of that." Mitsuki pointed at what appeared to be a dome of ice mirrors.

"What the? It must be Zabuza's associate then…" Sarada's eyes narrowed.

"But wait, if Auntie Sakura, Master Kakashi and Mister Tazuna are over there, where's Uncle Sasuke?" Boruto asked.

"He must be in those mirrors!" Sarada pointed as her eyes widened in horror as she saw Haku about to throw a kunai at someone lying on the ground in pain.

"Dad! Lord Seventh, hurry!" Sarada yelled to Naruto.

"Is that…..Sasuke? Oh damn! Don't miss!" Naruto yelled, throwing a kunai that thankfully knocked the masked ninja out of the mirror he was levitating from.

"Yes!" Boruto and Sarada cheered as Naruto pumped his fist, happy his attack connected.

"Got them! And now!" Naruto used a Substitution Jutsu to get himself closer to everyone on the bridge.

Everyone turned their eyes, varying levels of curiosity as to who the source could've been as they were covered in a smoke cloud.

"W-who is it?" Sakura asked unsure if this new arrival was friend or foe.

Thankfully, the smoke cloud dissipated revealing none other than Naruto Uzumaki in a showboating pose of sorts.

"Naruto Uuzmaki is here! Yeah, believe it!" Naruto grinned, pleased with his entrance.

* * *

And the Battle for the Bridge has finally started!

How shall win? (Wink, wink)

We've reached the half-way point of the Land of Waves Arc and next chapter will be the completion of the Land of Waves arc and we can get started on the Chunin Exams arc since I **KNOW** a lot of you guys are excited for that arc! XP

Also, I've decided to start a small "fun facts" segment at the end of my chapters! And by that, I mean I'm gonna include all the moments that were in the Manga that were absent in the Anime that I decided to add!

All the ones I've listed so far is that back in Chapter 6, when Naruto used the Sexy Jutsu on Hiruzen as well as me showing Naruto actually rummaging in the Hokage's Library for the Scroll of Sealing, that didn't happen in the anime but rather in the manga!

In Chapter 8, when Sakura was knocked out by Kakashi, in the anime she was simply asleep while in the manga and in this story, she was knocked out with foam coming out her mouth XP And when Sasuke "impaled" Kakashi with all those weapons, it was more bloody and gory in this story and in the manga than the anime.

In Chapter 9, when the Mist Brothers "killed" Kakashi, the anime adaptation of that scene had the brutality censored while this story keeps more of the gory detail.

And in this chapter, Naruto and Sakura actually tried seeing Kakashi's face under his mask when he was asleep which happened in the manga while that scene was weirdly omitted from the anime version for a weird reason.

And that's that for now! I will keep you all updated in the future!

And…I guess there's nothing more to say other than Chapter 11 will be released Wednesday April 29th which is kinda ironic since April started with the Interlude of the Land of Waves arc and it'll end with the ending of the Land of Waves Arc.

Til three weeks from now, take care and stay safe!

And P.S: I hope you all noticed how I changed the cover image of this story! I found it yesterday and thought an image of Boruto and Sarada watching Naruto and Sasuke's fight was way more fitting for this story than an image of Young Naruto and Boruto falling from the sky XP


	11. The Great Naruto Bridge

Hello, everyone! Hope you all are doing well and if not well hopefully this chapter will help liven your day, even if slightly! ^_^

I apologize again for the delay but at least I let you guys know ahead of time! ^_^

Now…with all that said, let the chapter begin already and we can wrap up the Land of Waves Arc! ^_^

* * *

Tension filled the air as everyone turned their attention to the obnoxious orange clad ninja standing in a kabuki like stance.

"Heh! Now that I'm here, everything will be alright!" Naruto grinned, standing up all the way as Team Konohamaru amusingly shook their heads.

"Way to make an entrance, the idiot." Boruto snickered.

"But dad, though! He's hurt!" Sarada pointed from inside of the masked ninja's ice mirrors in concern.

"He'll need to go in there and get him out." Mitsuki pointed out.

"Naruto!" Sakura beamed, surprising Team Konohamaru slightly as this was honestly the first time they had seen Sakura be happy that Naruto was within the same vicinity of her.

"Huh? Auntie Sakura's actually happy that dad's around. That's a first." Boruto muttered.

"Well events can bring people close together." Sarada shrugged as Naruto took this time to stroke his already over-inflated ego some more.

"You know how in stories, the hero usually shows up at the last minute and then kicks butt? Well that's what I'm gonna do right now! Believe it!" Naruto bragged as the more mature people on the bridge were less than impressed with Naruto's declaration.

"Ugh…I've got second hand embarrassment…." Boruto moaned, rubbing his hand through his hair.

"If he would've just stayed hidden, he could've pulled off a successful counter attack and been more effective." Mitsuki pointed out.

"I'm still wondering how this kid and Lord Seventh are the same person. Just saying." Sarada shook her head.

"Alright, you're history! Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto was about to summon a hand sign before Zabuza threw several ninja projectiles at the clueless blond.

"Oh shit! Dad, move your ass!" Boruto yelled.

"It's too fast for him!" Sarada panicked at Mitsuki was silent though curious as to how Naruto had gotten himself out of this pickle.

"Naruto, move!" Kakashi tried commanding Naruto before Zabuza's weapons were stopped from hitting Naruto thanks to senbon needles from the masked ninja.

"Wait, he saved him?" Boruto asked.

"…It seems he formed a connection to Lord Seventh…" Mitsuki noted though relieved that Naruto was saved.

"This is a battle not a talent show! Don't let your opponent see your jutsu! The Shinobi's art is deception, always keep the enemy guessing. Even when exceeding a single jutsu, one must distract their opponent's attention, catch them off balance and outmaneuver them. You just turned yourself into a human target when you enter a battle like that." Kakashi pointed out to Naruto with a stern look in his eye.

"Thank you, Lord Sixth." Sarada said as Naruto was close to ripping out his hair.

"Ugh! I'm sorry! I was just trying to rescue everybody!" Naruto spazzed out as Kakashi turned his attention to the masked boy.

"But, there's another mystery." Kakashi turned his gaze to the masked ninja.

"Haku, what are you doing?" Zabuza questioned his apprentice, sounding not the least bit pleased with his subordinate's insubordination.

"Zabuza, this boy, let me fight him my own way. Please." The boy known as Haku asked his master as Naruto clenched his fists.

"Bring it on!" Naruto challenged readying himself.

"So it's about to start, huh?" Boruto gulped as Zabuza closed his eye.

"Hmph, so you want me to leave this to you? Is that it, Haku?" Zabuza asked whose silence was definitely an answer for "Yes".

"As usual, you're too soft." Zabuza seemingly scolded his lackey.

"Forgive me." Haku apologized to his superior.

"Soft? But look at dad!" Sarada pointed to her injured dad.

"He does have a point…give his jutsu which must indeed be a Kekkai Genkai, he practically has Master Sasuke outnumbered and outmatched and he could kill him with ease but yet…he's not…" Mitsuki's eyes narrowed as his teammates processed his words.

"You really think it's a Kekkai Genkai?" Boruto asked.

"It would explain why he seems so adept with his mirror usage." Sarada nodded, seemingly in agreement with Mitsuki.

"I'm warning you! One way or another, I'm gonna rip off that mask and take you apart!" Naruto arrogantly proclaimed as Haku remained unfazed with Naruto's threat while Kakashi looked pensive, like he knew how outmatched Naruto was. Just as he was about to take a step forward….

"Don't even think about it. You know the score, Kakashi. If you go after Haku, I go after the bridge builder." Zabuza threated the copy ninja, much to Boruto and Sarada's chagrin.

"Are you serious!?" Sarada yelled.

"What a nice compromise." Boruto dryly muttered.

"Relax, Kakashi. Sit back and enjoy the show. Let's see how they do, one on one." Zabuza drawled.

"I wonder how they're gonna get out of this?" Mitsuki asked for his teammates.

"That mask and your bogus story! You were with Zabuza all along! You think you can get away with a stunt like that!?" Naruto grit his teeth, upset at getting lied to. After all, if Naruto detested anything, liars were definitely at the top of his list.

"I'm sorry….but as your sensei said, deceiving your opponent, catching them off guard, that is the art of the Shinobi. Please don't take it personally." Haku sincerely apologized.

"How can he not take it personally?" Boruto deadpanned.

"Still I kind of feel sorry for the guy…he doesn't seem as evil as Zabuza…but…why would he even work with someone like that, anyways?" Sarada asked.

"Guess we'll see later in this memory." Mitsuki asked before a kunai suddenly came flying out of the mirror prison, though Haku dodged with little to no effort at all.

"Sheesh, they're really out of place here!" Sarada ground out as Naruto and Sasuke gasped in complete and utter surprise.

"I haven't forgotten about you. Not for a second. Some warriors accept defeat gracefully. They know when they are beaten. Others do not. Let us finish our battle then. To the death!" Haku turned his mask towards Sasuke as he made his way to his mirror dome, disregarding Naruto.

"What the? Hey! Where're you going?" Naruto asked in disbelief and slight frustration that he wasn't being regarded as a threat. He was the future Hokage for god's sake!

"It's alright, Naruto. We'll have our fight next." Haku said before entering one of his mirrors.

"Yeah…that's definitely a Kekkai Genkai….but how are they going to fight against Haku if he can appear through each of the mirrors or even all of them at the same time?" Sarada asked.

"Uncle Sasuke and Dad will definitely find a way to coordinate their attacks together. If they can somehow find a way to attack from the outside and inside simultaneously, that can give them the edge over that bastard!" Boruto said.

"That would be an effective way in bringing down this Haku." Mitsuki said.

"Okay but how? If dad can't even see him!" Sarada yelled in concern as her father's pained yells rang over the bridge as he was no doubt getting attacked again.

"Sasuke! Naruto! Think! You need to attack from the outside and from the inside at the same time!" Kakashi yelled to his students, confirming Boruto's theory about that way being the most advantageous.

"Yeah if dad can do something with his Shadow Clones and Uncle Sasuke doing something with his fire, maybe they can bring that guy down!" Boruto pumped his fist, thinking his plan was fool proof.

"…Uh guys….where's Lord Seventh?" Sarada asked as there was practically a blip where Naruto once stood while Mitsuki chuckled.

"In there." Mitsuki smiled as he pointed inside of a dome as Sasuke screamed, practically like he saw a ghost.

"….You…are…kidding me!" Boruto groaned in frustration only to see Naruto happy as ever to see Sasuke while Sasuke definitely didn't reciprocate Naruto's congeniality.

"Hey! I snuck in here to save you! Pretty cool move, huh Sasuke?" Naruto grinned as Sasuke looked close to having a brain aneurysm.

"Dumb…" Boruto started.

"Ass…" Sarada finished as both Boruto and Sarada face-palmed.

"I don't think he got the memo to sneak up on his enemies not his allies." Mitsuki chuckled, definitely finding amusement in the situation as his teammates just learned to just let him laugh at stuff that they don't find funny.

"Ugh….you are a complete loser! You're a Shinobi, think carefully before you move!" Sasuke snapped at Naruto who definitely didn't appreciate Sasuke's tone.

"What the heck's your problem!? You should thank me for coming in here to help you!" Naruto spat back as Sasuke was definitely regretting giving him that bento lunch from all that time ago.

"Naruto if we're both inside here…..forget it! I've had it with your mistakes!" Sasuke turned his head to the side, wishing he had anyone else on his team. He just wished he could pile drive his head into a cliff right now.

"And I've had it with your attitude, believe it!" Naruto spat back as Sasuke definitely had to get his head back in the game before he seriously ended up killing the orange idiot.

"That's it! I'm gonna destroy these mirrors right now! Fire Style…" Sasuke summoned hand signs.

"Hey, what attack are you using?" Naruto asked while Sasuke didn't even bother turning his head to Naruto.

"These mirrors are made of ice and how do you get rid of ice? Figure it out. Fire Ball Jutsu!" Sasuke yelled as he fired the huge ball of fire at all the mirrors, hoping to turn Haku's mirrors into melted popsicles but to everyone's surprise, they didn't even look melted a little.

"Geez! What are those mirrors made of?" Boruto asked.

"He's obviously had training and expertise with them." Sarada replied.

"You'll need much more heat than that to melt this ice." Haku simply said as he gathered a handful of senbon needles before both Uzumaki and Uchiha alike were pelted with needle after needle.

"Damn! That was one broken ability!" Boruto spat.

"He definitely gives Kagura a ride for his money!" Sarada blinked, not being able to see a thing. Granted she didn't have her Sharingan but still.

"Where is he!? Where's the needle attack coming at us from!? Are they clones? We've got to find the real one! Which one is it?" Naruto asked, darting his head frantically trying to find where the real Haku could be.

"Look into every mirror as hard as you like. You will never learn the secret." Haku stated in a voice, almost as if he were challenging the two boys to come to him.

"Oh yeah? Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto yelled summoning as many Shadow Clones as there were mirrors as they all launched at Haku's mirrors trying to find the real one before he was swiftly dealt with.

"…Not even a challenge…" Sarada breathed out as a bead of sweat rolled down her face.

"Now I'm really curious….how did dad and Uncle Sasuke out of this?" Boruto asked.

"These mirrors only reflect my image, allowing me to transport myself at light speed. Through my eyes, you appear to be moving in slow motion." Haku said as Naruto and Sasuke grit their teeth in frustration while Naruto only looked down.

"I couldn't break through…" Naruto muttered, getting Sasuke's attention, "So what? He's not gonna stop me!", getting even Haku's attention.

"I'm not giving up and I'm not gonna lose here. 'Cause I have a dream and no one's going to take it away from me! Someday, I'll be respected in my village! That's my dream, to be the greatest Hokage!" Naruto proclaimed while on the outwardly, thanks to his mask anyways, if one could see Haku's face under his mask, they would notice his eyes soften.

"It was not my desire to be a Shinobi. It's painful…I don't want to kill you but if you advice, I will have no choice. Then I will kill the kindness in my heart and fully embrace the Shinobi way. And there will be no mercy, no turning back. This bridge will be the battlefield where our dreams collide. Now I must fight for my dreams just as you fight for yours. Please do not blame me. I fight for someone who is precious to me. I live for him and I face death for him, so that his dream may become a reality. That is my dream. And for the sake of that dream, if I must, I will act as a Shinobi and take your lives!" Haku finished, raising another senbon needle while rather than looking intimidated, Naruto and Sasuke merely smirked. Almost as if they were welcoming the challenge.

"So that's why…..he has a dream…." Sarada frowned as she thought to her dream of becoming Hokage and how she was so gung ho on becoming a Chunin…she never really considered Boruto's feelings. She looked to Boruto sadly before turning her head back.

"…It sounds like me in a way….just how I wanna become a Shinobi like Uncle Sasuke…..that Haku guy sounds like he wants to be like that Zabuza guy….." Boruto frowned.

"But how would someone like that ever end up with Zabuza? I suppose we'll just have to wait to find out." Mitsuki said as Naruto stood right back up again, glaring at one Haku that was in one mirror.

"I didn't get to him! Then I'll try it again, as many times as it takes. Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto yelled, summoning another hoard of Shadow Clones though like last time, Haku merely cut through all of them like they were butter while he gave Sasuke another dosage of needles, senbon edition.

"How is he doing that?" Naruto grunted out in frustration.

"But wait, did you guys see that? The water that Haku guy left behind?" Sarada asked her friends.

"Yeah now that I think about it…" Boruto muttered.

"That must be how they can counter him! With the water….but can they find it?" Mitsuki asked.

"Ugh! One more time! Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto yelled, not willing to give in the towel just yet.

"Don't you see that it's useless?" Haku yelled before Naruto and Sasuke were bombarded with another helping of senbon needles.

"This is no good….if dad can't find a way to take advantage of the flying water and Lord Seventh is just wasting his chakra at this point…" Sarada bit her finger nail as Naruto took that time to get right back up again.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto yelled, running towards Haku's mirrors, seemingly having no different results than the last couple of times while Sasuke took that time to fire off another Fireball at Haku only this time, the fire was able to singe off some of Haku's skirt.

"He got him!" Sarada pumped her fists, excitedly.

"Leave it to Uncle Sasuke." Boruto grinned.

"Now if he can just talk to Lord Seventh and communicate him on what to do, this fight will be over, set game and match." Mitsuki smiled.

"Talk? That idiot ain't gonna listen to Uncle Sasuke if he came to him with a fifteen inch pole." Boruto scoffed as Naruto grit his teeth in frustration, seemingly not noticing the singe in Haku's skirt.

"I got so close to him but I couldn't touch him…" Naruto spat in disdain, starting to get very annoyed with Haku and his BS.

"Naruto, can you do it again?" Sasuke asked Naruto.

"Huh? Of course! Nothing can stop me, believe it!" Naruto spat with bravado clear in his voice.

"Sure he can…" Sarada rolled her eyes.

"But if he just keeps using those Shadow Clones haphazardly, he'll just use up his chakra until it falls to zero. And if that happens…." Boruto looked down, his voice full of concern. Sensing this, Mitsuki put his hand on Boruto's shoulder.

"Look at things like this. Lord Seventh and Master Sasuke survive from this." Mitsuki smiled as Boruto blinked before smiling at his teammate.

"Right…thanks, Mitsuki." Boruto grinned as Sasuke looked unconvinced at Naruto's response though he put those thoughts to the side as Haku readied himself for another attack as Sasuke flew through another series of hand signs.

"Naruto, run for it!" Sasuke suddenly ordered Naruto.

"Huh?" Naruto asked, surprised at Sasuke's sudden proclamation.

"Get out of here and attack from the outside. Hurry!" Sasuke said as Naruto blinked before grinning.

"Right, got it!" Naruto said as he started to try to run outside of Haku's mirror range.

"You cannot escape." Haku said, knocking Naruto back with a series of needles. Though Naruto merely worked through the pain before getting back up and running off again.

"You think you can keep me here? Forget it!" Naruto yelled as Haku, the real one, appeared from a random mirror.

"That's him! That's the real one!" Boruto poined.

"Do it, dad!" Sarada yelled as Sasuke complied immediately.

"That's it! Firestyle, Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke yelled as a ball of fire left Sasuke's lips as the real Haku stopped before throwing a needle in Sasuke's direction which Sasuke painfully took to the shoulder before Haku appeared right in front of Naruto and back-handed him, sending him right to where Sasuke was.

"Damn it! So close!" Boruto cursed.

"But….at least they have a strategy now for beating him." Sarada reassured her friend.

"I couldn't get past him…" Naruto growled in irritation.

"That was good, Naruto." Sasuke said, surprising Naruto that he didn't degrade him for once.

"One more time?" Sasuke suggested, pulling the needle out of his shoulder while wincing from the pain.

"Yeah, let's do it!" Naruto said as both boys tried running to the exit in an attempt to flush Haku out of hiding but it was to no avail as both boys were knocked down and filled even more with senbon needles.

"Geesh…they're getting killed in here…" Boruto ran his hand through his hair.

However a loud familiar scream got everyone's attention.

"Mom!?" Sarada yelled.

"What's happened? Old Man Kakashi! Old Man Tazuna?" Boruto gasped out, hoping Tazuna was still in one piece.

This seemed to make the boys sit up, even for a little bit.

"Ugh…Sakura…she's…in trouble…I'll bust us out of here…" Naruto muttered, practically forcing himself to his feet as Sasuke actually looked concerned for his teammate.

"I'll fake him out." Naruto grinned.

"You've exhausted my patience." Haku said, as his voice was practically dripping with venom.

"Yeah he does that to everyone." Boruto dryly said as Naruto summoned Chakra around him with the real Haku following his movement as he jumped and dodged all around the mirror dome.

"Naruto! Behind you!" Sasuke pointed out as Naruto barely saw two needles aimed for him before he was pelted with more needles, sending him crashing to the ground below.

"Naruto!" Sasuke yelled in a voice not of irritation like normal but of actual concern, a tone that knew that if they didn't defeat Haku soon, they would die. No ifs, ands or buts about it.

"Your chances of escaping my House of Mirrors is zero. That is absolute." Haku stated in a "matter of fact" voice as Sasuke made his way over to his friend.

"Naruto, are you able to get up?" Sasuke asked as Naruto merely grunted in response. The battle was definitely starting to take his toll on him.

"Try not to use anymore chakra. That's only going to help him now." Sasuke said in an unusually soft voice as Naruto pushed himself up to meet Sasuke's eye.

"I know, Sasuke…I know…" Naruto fell to the ground, seemingly starting to lose consciousness.

"Dad!" Boruto ran to Naruto's side as he scanned him over with Sarada and Mitsuki looking him over as well.

"He's had it…Chakra Exhaustion is starting to get him…They need to find a way to stop him soon….Or else…" Sarada bit her lip as Sasuke pushed himself up to his feet, just as exhausted as Naruto but not willing to give into his body's demands.

"Looking for a counterattack? I'll save you the trouble." Haku said, throwing a handful of senbon needles at Sasuke but much to everyone's shock, Sasuke actually blocked them using one of the senbon needles that Haku left on the ground.

"Hold on, he's actually blocking them this time? What changed?" Boruto asked.

"Get up loser! We've got to team up!" Sasuke spat to Naruto who grunted before managing to sit himself up, barely.

"…I know what we have to do….Believe it, Sasuke!" Naruto said as the mirrors readied themselves for an offensive attack as Sasuke did his best to dodge and counter the hits as best as he could while Naruto was all but unconscious, meaning Sasuke had to do the brunt of the counterattack while having to protect Naruto.

"He disappeared? Where did he go? How could he just vanish?" Sasuke grunted before turning his head to his teammate who hung his head down as he sat up.

"Naruto, you better not pass out again, C'mon, let's go. I can't keep protecting you like this!" Sasuke spat as Naruto grunted in response.

"Well then don't….I never asked for your help…" Naruto moaned as he unfortunately fell over.

"Damn it! He's reaching his limit…." Boruto grit his teeth.

"Reached? I think he is at his limit…" Mitsuki's brow furrowed.

"You can't revive him. He's reached his limits." Haku was practically teasing Sasuke now as he held a hand full of senbon needles ready to make both Sasuke and Naruto pincushions to give back to Zabuza.

Sasuke growled as he glared up at Haku, definitely not ready to go down without a fight.

Sasuke then threw one of the senbon needles he retrieved from the ground before flinging it in the direction of Haku before his needle was deflected with one from Haku.

"Impressive. You have excellent moves. Your attacks are very skillful but you've reached your limits as well. Motor functions, reflexes, judgement, your abilities are weakening slowly but surely. You're finished!" Haku said throwing a handful of needles, this time going for a killing blow for Sasuke but much to everyone's astonishment, Sasuke moved quicker than the speed of sound while managing to pick up Naruto with one arm and move him away to safety.

"What the? How did-"Boruto asked as Sarada's eyes widened in realization.

"…No way…." Sarada gasped out as Sasuke's head was down before he held his eyes up, revealing his gaze to Haku.

Only….instead of his usual onyx colored eyes, his eyes were red…signifying the Sharingan.

And even more impressive, he managed to have two tomoe in his eyes.

"He finally did it." Mitsuki smiled.

"So that's how he awakened his Sharingan!" Sarada grinned, about to jump up and down in a similar fashion that her mother would.

"Somehow it doesn't surprise me that Uncle Sasuke came through in the end. Now he has this match wrapped up!" Boruto grinned, all but ready to jump in the air.

"I'd love to see the look on that masked bastard's face." Boruto snickered, whole-heartedly assured that Haku was probably pissing him.

This notion was proved to be at least somewhat right as Haku readied a hand of senbon. However…his gaze wasn't directed towards Sasuke but rather….Naruto!

"That bastard! He's going after dad!" Boruto yelled in panic.

"And he can't even defend himself! What kind of coward goes after someone defensively!?" Sarada yelled out as Sasuke's eye widened in panic as he was running on pure adrenaline at this point.

With a speed that no one could see, Sasuke had taken the full brunt of Haku's attack while managing to throw Haku to the side, away from him and Naruto.

And the end result….was sickening to say the least….

Sasuke was impaled nearly all over his body with blood coating his entire body with some of the blood forming a puddle below him. His was deathly pale as he resembled a ghost with one foot in the grave and with all of the needles piercing his body, he looked like a spiky blue hedgehog.

All of Team Konohamaru were highly perturbed at what they were seeing, even Mitsuki.

But none…were more shaken…than Sarada.

"….D…dad…." Sarada gasped out as tears started coming to her eyes.

N-no….t-this couldn't….be?

With all of the damage he took, he couldn't have survived…..right?

But…she was here…so…

"U-Uncle Sasuke…." Boruto was highly disturbed seeing Sasuke in such a state. Even when he was low on chakra during the fight against Urashiki, Sasuke still had the demeanor and appearance of someone strong.

But here? It looked like he would drop dead at any given moment…..

However…sniffles drug Boruto out of his current thoughts as his heart went out to Sarada. While he was feeling numb seeing the younger version of his master in such a state, he could only imagine what Sarada was going through.

"Hey….Sarada…" Boruto walked over to his teammate as she looked ready to break down in tears here and there.

"It's gonna be okay….remember Uncle Sasuke is still alive today so that guy must've missed." Boruto gave Sarada a soft smile, hoping that would be enough to cheer her up as despite all of their banter they had on a daily basis, Boruto genuinely cared for and loved Sarada like a good friend.

"I-I know! But how?" Sarada bit her lip as Mitsuki walked over to Sarada and put a hand on her remaining shoulder.

"Remember, this is all in the past and like Boruto said, your father is alive, well and happy so don't forget that." Mitsuki smiled with Boruto smiling in agreement.

"Y-yeah…thanks guys…" Sarada gave a smile before frowning, watching as Naruto slowly stir himself awake.

"I can only wonder what he'll think…" Sarada muttered.

"…Yeah…he could think he lost a friend…one of the first friends he ever made…." Boruto grit his teeth, not quite ready to see Naruto's angst in seeing Sasuke's state as he stirred himself awake as all Naruto could make out from his position on the ground was Haku being down and Sasuke standing tall.

"H-huh?" Naruto asked, his eyes slowly opening again.

"…You always….get in the way….Naruto….it…never fails…" Sasuke weakly said as Team Konohamaru managed to let out hollow chuckles.

"Even like that, dad can't drop their banter…" Sarada sadly smiled as she noticed Naruto's beaming face as Naruto assumed that Sasuke had beaten Haku.

"You beat him, Sasuke!" Naruto grinned as he looked ready to get up and hug Sasuke in gratitude before finally noticing the weakened state that Sasuke was in.

"….H-huh?" Naruto's heart dropped as unlike Team Konohamaru, he had no idea that Sasuke would survive this encounter.

"…And there it is…." Sarada gulped.

"…I wonder…if he thought Uncle Sasuke was gonna die here…." Boruto bit his lip, not wanting to know the pain Naruto was in.

"You should see the look on your face….y-you look like…a total loser!" Sasuke weakly teased Naruto who disregarded Sasuke's taunt for once and stood up to accurately get a proper assessment of Sasuke's injuries.

"W-why….why did you….save me….why did you do it?" Naruto weakly asked as the memory flashed as Team Konohamaru saw a flash of Iruka protecting from Mizuki before the memory flashed back to present time before the memory flashed again.

This time of Haku in the woods speaking to Naruto….

"_Do you…have someone that is precious to you? When one has something precious to them, that is when they truly become strong." _Haku in his pink kimono said to Naruto before the memory flashed back to present time again.

"….And that someone precious to Master Sasuke…" Mitsuki frowned.

"…Was dad…..underneath all that crap…." Boruto bit his lip.

"He really cared for Lord Seventh." Sarada turned her head, feeling awful for seeing such a private memory.

"…I…don't know why….I…just did it…." Sasuke weakly gasped out as he held his head eye, no doubt having some sort of reflection of sorts before smiling despite the blood trailing his mouth.

Naruto looked close to breaking down as Sasuke's voice got his attention.

"You….I…hated you…" Sasuke gasped out as Naruto growled, pushing himself to his feet.

Was this a game? How dare that bastard joke with him?

"Then why!? It doesn't make any sense. Why…did you…protect me?" Naruto weakly gasped out as righteous anger filled his chest, "I didn't ask for this! I didn't ask for you to save me!" Naruto yelled angrily to Sasuke as Sasuke still refused to face Naruto.

Though…if one could see his face…they could see a lone tear fill his eye.

"I dunno….My body…just moved…there was no time to think…loser!" Sasuke managed to get out before he slowly fell to the ground.

"Catch him!" Boruto and Sarada yelled as Naruto did just that.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled, hoping there was a way to save him. Why did Naruto care? They….were…rivals right?

No….

However…Naruto didn't have time to dwell on this as Sasuke opened his eyes again as he looked to the sky with a sorrowful frown on his face.

Almost…as if he had a regret on his face before leaving the world….

"…H-he's…still out there…." Sasuke began as Naruto and Team Konohamaru looked at Sasuke in surprise.

"Who? Who's still out there?" Boruto asked.

"My brother….I promised myself….I'd….stay alive…until…I….killed him…." Sasuke weakly admitted as Naruto, Boruto and Sarada were horrified at Sasuke's admission as Mitsuki kept a blank stare.

"Wait? His brother!?" Boruto asked, before remembering Naruto's words to him in the past that Sasuke had to avenge his clan.

Sarada looked close to panicking.

"Wait…his brother? My…uncle…but why? Why…did he want to kill his brother?" Sarada asked as Boruto's eyes widened as he finally put the pieces on why Sasuke had to avenge his clan.

But before he could explain himself to his teammate, Mitsuki spoke up.

"Because he was the one who wiped out the Uchiha Clan." Mitsuki said as Boruto and Sarada looked to Mitsuki in stunned silence.

Boruto was just lost for words while Sarada looked close to having a panic attack.

"…I…I don't understand….why? Why would my uncle kill our whole clan? Why!?" Sarada gasped out as Boruto was just as curious.

"Yeah that makes no sense!" Boruto added just as disturbed as Mitsuki was lost between admitting the truth to his comrades or letting them find out for themselves in these memories.

However, the memory soon got their attention back as Sasuke tightly grabbed Naruto's jacket sleeve.

"Naruto….don't…let your dream die…" Sasuke asked in a voice to Naruto that practically ripped away at Naruto's soul before Sasuke fell limp, presumed dead.

Naruto's eyes widened in horror as his cerulean eyes filled with tears with them actually hitting Sasuke's body as he held Sasuke's "dead" body close to him.

Even though this was just a memory, Sarada turned her head to the side as she let tears fall despite her efforts.

To think her dad would do something like this for Naruto, especially seeing how their relationship started from all those years back in the Academy.

And as such, this was following with the memory flashing to their first meeting at the Academy.

"_You wanna go! You loser!?" _A younger Sasuke growled as he tightly grabbed Naruto's shirt collar before the memory flashed to all the times Sasuke beat Naruto in class before the memory flashed to the current time with them bonding through their tree climbing training together and finally ending off with them noticing each other at the edge of a river pier while Naruto was walking home.

Both boys looked at each other with pure disgust that the other had the pure audacity to even dignify each other.

But before taking his leave, Naruto smiled at Sasuke with Sasuke's mouth opening in joy before smiling back.

Soon the memory returned to present time as Naruto continued to lament the loss of his teammate…no…his friend…..

Boruto was quick to go into tears but composed himself….remembering that Sasuke would survive and become his trainer.

Though this didn't stop him from putting a comforting hand on Sarada's shoulder as Mitsuki watched the two without saying anything.

"He found the strength he didn't realize he had. Why? Because of a certain person who was precious to him. To save that person, he rushed in, knowing it was a trap. He was a true ninja, worthy of honor…." Haku said to Naruto, in a voice sounding like he actually sympathized with Naruto, whose head was still down before turning to the side.

"Is this the first time you have seen a friend die in battle? This is part of what it means to be a ninja." Haku said before making his way back into the mirror he was in.

"Oh patronize him, why don't you!? I hope Lord Seventh gets this guy!" Sarada growled, her voice bitter and full of hatred.

"Okay but how? He has nothing left…No rasengan or anything…" Boruto bit his lip before Naruto surprisingly spoke.

"Shut up…." Naruto growled to Sasuke as he gently set Sasuke down, in a way to give his corpse the respect it deserved.

Sasuke lived and died as a ninja and he would damn well make sure his dead body received the respect it deserved.

"…I…hated you too Sasuke….And yet….." Naruto said as the air started to slowly rise around him.

"…You'll pay for this…" Naruto said through clenched teeth as the air became more visible, startling Sarada.

"What's this?" Sarada asked as Boruto's eyes widened in realization.

"This…must be…when the Nine Tails awakened!" Boruto announced getting Mitsuki and Sarada's attention.

"You're sure? But how?" Mitsuki asked as Boruto kept his eyes firmly trained on Naruto.

"It's the same feeling I felt when we fought against Urashiki!" Boruto gasped out, never forgetting when Naruto nearly killed him…..

To accentuate Boruto's point, poignant red chakra surrounded Naruto as Naruto crouched down, resembling that of a fox as all of his wounds begin healing.

"I'm gonna kill you!" Naruto growled out as his whisker marks became more pronounced with his eyes turning blood red.

Boruto grit his teeth with his heart racing through his chest while Mitsuki and Sarada were just speechless at seeing Naruto's power.

"And to think when I saw Lord Seventh's power, it was fully controlled!" Sarada exclaimed in awe.

"This is obviously before he learned to control it…" Mitsuki's eyes narrowed as he braced himself for the ass-kicking definitely to come for Haku.

However, much to the team's amazement, a silhouette of the Nine Tailed Fox appeared as it roared before leaving before the memory suddenly changed colors as the entire scene was tinted a light red color.

"What the? What happened to the memory?" Boruto asked as Sarada blinked just as dumbfounded.

"…Maybe…it's because…of the Nine Tails' influence?" Sarada surmised as Mitsuki looked deep in thought.

"…That…could be a good reason why…." Mitsuki thought though he didn't have time to dwell on this thought for long as Haku quickly readied his needles, ready to strike Naruto as he was no doubt unsettled with this recent change in events. He thought he had this fight down but it looks like the tables were slowly shifting away from his favor.

"The bloodlust in his eyes…this is no longer a child!" Haku gasped out as a roar nearly made Haku fall back as Naruto growled, lunging at Haku who through senbon needles at Naruto who deflected them with ease with a single roar.

Naruto scanned the mirrors trying to snuff out the real Haku as all the mirrors became covered with the image of Haku as Naruto felt his entire back stuck with needles before a single swipe with his wrist, dispelling all of the images except one which Naruto immediately lunged at and punched the mirror, sending it crashing into tiny little pieces as the real Haku appeared right over him, ready to impale and spear Naruto.

"I must strike now…NOW!" Haku yelled.

"Look out!" Boruto and Sarada yelled as Naruto quickly jumped out of the way, spinning around three times, snarling as he caught himself.

"Impossible!" Haku yelled, trying to escape with a window as Naruto firmly grasped his wrist as he was putting everything he had into this punch as he was definitely gonna knock the taste out of Haku's mouth.

As the chakra pooled all around Naruto's fist, before anyone knew anything, Haku was firmly sent flying out of his dome of mirrors, with the mirrors shattering into hundreds if not thousands of pieces all around Naruto as Boruto and Sarada were nothing short of unnerved at the face of Naruto.

It literally radiated murder and hatred….

"…Makes me glad he can control his Tailed Beast…" Boruto gulped.

"…Uh…huh…" Sarada whole-heartedly agreed as Naruto wasted no time, intent on putting down the man who dared kill his friend. But as Naruto's fist was merely inches from Haku's face, it was then his mask broke off entirely, revealing his true identity to Naruto who gasped in horror as he stopped right as he was merely inches away from Naruto whose rationality returned to him as his eyes returned to normal, causing the normal colors of the memory to return.

"…Wait…a second! So…that guy in the woods that was you?" Naruto asked as Haku chose not to answer Naruto's question but rather look down to the ground below.

"Why do you not strike?" Haku asked, confusing Naruto.

"Did you not just vow to avenge your comrade's death by killing me? Or was that vow just empty words?" Haku asked as Naruto took one look back at seeing Sasuke's dead body before he growled and punched Haku into the ground, making him spit blood.

"Can't say he didn't deserve that." Boruto muttered.

"You're still holding back. If that is all the strength you can put into it, you will never keep your vow. Perhaps he didn't mean as much to you as you pretend." Haku stated matter of factly, wiping the blood from his mouth.

"What's this guy talking about?" Sarada growled, not at all fond of the guy who nearly killed her father.

"To show mercy to those who oppose the one you serve to allow his enemies to live when you could strike them down….this is not compassion. It is a betrayal of your life's very purpose. For what reason do you exist then? You're of no use to no one. Your life has no meaning, it is mere existence. Day after day of pain and struggle, signifying nothing." Haku said as Naruto grit his teeth.

"Yeah, well, speak for yourself." Naruto said, not quite understand what Haku meant though he remained undeterred in his stance.

"Are you really that blind, little one? I am speaking of myself. This day has shown that I am no longer of any use to Zabuza." Haku smiled, surprising Boruto and Sarada.

"Why is he smiling about that!?" Boruto clenched his fists, not liking the fact that Haku had essentially relegated his entire life to being just a tool for Zabuza. Not a friend or accomplice like he was with Sasuke but just a tool to be used and discarded.

"And how the hell did he end up with a guy like that, anyways?" Sarada folded her arms.

"Zabuza….why that guy, anyway? To devote your life to a rotten skunk who doesn't know the meaning of the word 'honor'. If he's really the one person that matters to you, man, that's the sorriest thing I've ever heard." Naruto shook his head like he ate a mouthful of sour skittles as Haku's expression was one of somewhat amusement rather than being offended at Naruto's tactless words at insulting his master.

"There were once others who mattered to me long ago….my mother and my father. I was born in the Land of Water in a small village where the snow lies deep in the winter. My parents were farmers and very poor. Our life was hard but we were content. My parents were good to each other and kind to me. Yes, we were happy once…but then everything changed…" Haku gave a smile before losing it as he finished the end of his sentence.

"…What was it?" Sarada asked, having a disturbingly good idea of what might have changed.

"It must've been his Kekkai Genkai. After all, it's not something you'd see every day." Mitsuki assumed.

"Because of something that happened long before I was even born, everything changed." Haku continued his recap of his life's story as Naruto blinked in confusion.

"What was it?" Naruto asked as Haku looked down to his hand.

"It is in the blood." Haku answered, confusing Naruto even further.

"Blood? You said something happened that changed everything!" Naruto tilted his head before pressuring the ice style user for an answer who rewarded him with dead eyes.

"It was my father who changed. He killed my mother and he almost killed me." Haku answered, rather bluntly, unnerving Naruto, Boruto and Sarada while Mitsuki remained stone-faced.

"Wait, what the? How can a father kill his wife and nearly kill his kid!?" Boruto demanded, in a voice that didn't even bother to hide his disgust.

Sarada flinched at the notion of Boruto's words about "a father nearly killing his kid" but remembered how Sasuke nearly killing her was merely an accident.

"After years of suffering, the horrors of civil war that the people of my land had come to fear and hate anyone who carried the Kekkai Genkai in their blood." Haku began another explanation as Naruto's expression wrinkled in confusion.

"Kekkai Genkai?" Naruto asked, unfamiliar with the term.

"The advanced bloodline trait of a clan. It's jutsu and abilities passed down from generation to generation. Because of their unique abilities, the clans were used as mercenaries. They fought in many battles and were much feared but when the war was over they were despised and shunned by the people who feared their presence would only bring more war and misfortune. So it was that after the war that these clans went into hiding, denying the bloodline traits that flowed in their veins, concealing their unique abilities, knowing that to be discovered meant certain death. If you had searched that boy's memories, I'm sure you would have found it there, too." Haku explained with a mirthless smile before gesturing to Sasuke before continuing his explanation.

"The cruely of people, their fear of things that they don't understand. For years, my mother was successful in hiding her bloodline trait. She met and fell in love with a simple farmer and they were married and after that, my mother thought she would lead a peaceful, ordinary life to the end of her days though I found out when I was young and showed it to my mother and despite her attempts to hide I, my father had seen and so he knew our secrets. And with that…he killed my mother and nearly killed me….but….in retaliation…I killed him instead…" Haku said, unnerving Boruto and Sarada at his confession.

But what really bothered them was the nonchalant way Haku explained his tale.

"….He actually…killed his father?" Sarada gulped, never once thinking about killing her father even though he nearly killed her during the Shin incident.

"…And that explains why he was on his own…" Boruto shook his head, trying to process the thought of a son killing his father.

"It couldn't be helped. In the Shinobi world, it's either kill or be killed." Mitsuki reasoned, though that didn't mean he liked what happened with Haku's past either.

"When at last I was myself again, I was no longer myself. My father and mother were gone but I knew that something else had been taken from me, something even more important. And that is when I truly despaired." Haku stated as Naruto was nothing short of unnerved at the brutality of Haku's past as he actually took a few steps back.

"…More important than your mother and father? What?" Naruto gulped.

"My purpose….in all the world, there was no one who needed me….I was unnecessary…" Haku simply stated with a dead look in his eyes as Naruto's eyes widened, no doubt remembering the way he was before he met Iruka.

"…So that's why….after he met with that Zabuza guy…even if he was a tool…he must've given him a reason to live…." Sarada frowned, looking down.

"….And I used to think I used to have no purpose…" Boruto bit his lip as what he thought was suffering was nothing compared to people like Haku had to go through.

"Why is it you're so determined to be Hokage? Because you want all eyes in your village to look on you and recognize you as a great ninja. You see, it is only through the eyes of others that our little lives have any significance. When there is no one who sees you or will even look at you, it's as if you do not exist….Then Zabuza came along and looked at me and his eyes were not full of hate or fear…He did not shun me for my strangeness. Indeed my special powers were just what he wanted. He made me feel necessary again…I was happy…" Haku smiled as tears left his eyes as Naruto and Team Konohamaru's hearts went out to the boy.

With the finishing of Haku's words, came sudden flashes.

"_Look! It's him…it's that boy…" _The villagers all glared at a younger version of Naruto as the scene flashed to the morning of Naruto's graduation.

"_Congratulations! You graduate!" _Iruka beamed at Naruto with all the pride a surrogate father could muster before the memory returned back to present time.

"…Even though he nearly killed my dad…." Sarada teared up.

"…He really isn't all that bad after all…" Boruto also felt tears come to his eyes as he honestly felt sorry for this kid. With no purpose and having no friends or family, how could one hate you for following someone who made you feel validated?

…Even if that someone is a person like Zabuza….

It was then that Haku wiped his eyes before losing his smile.

"I have failed you, Zabuza. I am like a weapon that has been broken and is of no further use…." Haku murmured to himself before stepping up to Naruto, making the young boy take a few apprehensive steps back.

"Naruto….kill me…" Haku said as everyone sans Mitsuki was highly disturbed with Haku's request.

"Kill him!? But why the hell would he?" Boruto was lost for words as Mitsuki shook his head.

"He is weaker than Lord Seventh and he didn't even kill Master Sasuke so he sees himself as no longer worthy to be alive. It makes perfect sense why he would want to die." Mitsuki crossed his arms as his teammates were uncomfortable at how Mitsuki was seemingly having no problem with Haku's demands.

"But still! To kill someone like that?" Sarada asked.

"To be fair, Lord Seventh does believe that Master Sasuke is dead…" Mitsuki said as Naruto shared Boruto and Sarada's discomfort.

"W-what!? Kill you!? Are you serious!?" Naruto looked like he wanted to vomit as Haku remained undeterred with his request.

"Dead serious." Haku confirmed as he noticed that Naruto was making no direct effort to attack him.

This made Haku's lips quirk up slightly in amusement.

"Why do you hesitate?" Haku asked as Naruto clenched his fists before taking even more steps back from Haku who seemed to walk closer to Naruto.

"That's the most ridiculous story I've ever heard! I mean, he treats you like a slave! You're a human being, not a weapon or a tool. How can you care about someone like that!?" Naruto demanded as he would rather die than be seen as just some weapon for someone to use.

"For that very reason. Does that seem so strange to you?" Haku challenged Naruto's assertion as he looked down.

"…Well yeah, a little. When he found me, I was without a purpose or reason for living. Zabuza gave me both but now…my usefulness is over…the only thing that gave my life meaning…it's gone…I am a broken tool…a blunt weapon of no use to anyone…" Haku's eyes filled with tears.

"…Why do I have a feeling he won't make it past this day?" Boruto asked, more to himself, wondering if his teammates wondered the same thing.

"I doubt it…we don't even hear about him anymore anyways….." Mitsuki frowned as Sarada turned to her teammates.

"You don't think…Lord Seventh did?" Sarada asked, slightly unnerved at a child as innocent and Naruto actually killing someone in cold blood. Even if that someone, nearly killed her father.

"Go on, Naruto. Do it. For both of our sakes…do it…quickly…" Haku said as Naruto was too shaken by Haku's story and words to even more.

"Go on…finish it. Kill me. Why do you hesitate?" Haku asked as Naruto was still unmoving as Haku's expression manifested into that of amusement.

"I thought you wanted to be a mighty warrior." Haku somewhat teased Naruto as Naruto clenched his fists and grit his teeth.

"That's what what this is about! Do you really believe that's all there is to it? Just fighting and killing until there's only one man left standing? There's a lot more to being a shinobi than that and there are other ways of showing your strength than just by beating someone in battle." Naruto challenged Haku's assertion of just needing to be validated by being a tool.

"I've had a feeling all along, from the first moment we met in the woods. We are a lot alike. I'm sure you know what I mean. I'm only sorry that it must be your hand that is tainted with my unworthy blood." Haku stated as it seemed like Naruto was actually considering Haku's offer.

"…I…don't think I can watch?" Sarada shook her head.

"Me either…" Boruto sighed.

"Sure about this? And you're positive that it's the only way?" Naruto questioned as Haku remained blank-faced.

"Yes." Haku said simply as Naruto dreaded that answer before exhaling and squeezing his eyes shut.

"….The weird thing is, if we met in another time and place…we could've been friends…" Naruto clenched his jaw shut before running to Haku who grabbing a kunai from his pouch.

"This..is for Sasuke because he also had a dream!" Naruto yelled as Haku smiled in thanks before he quickly lost his smile, tightly grasping Naruto's wrist.

"Wait, what's happening? Didn't he want him to kill him?" Boruto asked.

"Yeah, what's the deal?" Sarada added.

"Sorry, Naruto. Change of Plans." Haku smiled in apology to Naruto before scowling as he looked at another section of the bridge before leaving in a mirror of Ice.

"What the? What happened?" Boruto asked.

"Hey! The fog…it's lifting!" Sarada pointed as there were a couple of figures standing feet from where Naruto was.

"Hey, what's going on over there?" Boruto pointed as Mitsuki had an idea of what may have happened but chose not to say anything as Naruto noticed the changed in the atmosphere.

"The fog's lifting! Wait, is that him?" Naruto asked as he ran before stopping cold in his tracks before gasping in horror at the sight before him as Boruto and Sarada were left speechless at what they were seeing.

Sakura and Tazuna were safely okay but that wasn't what surprised everyone. Not even Zabuza's bloodied state was of shock to everyone….

What was a shock was seeing Kakashi's right hand pierce Haku's words as blood caked the ground below while Haku's mouth was set in a smile despite the blood trailing down his lips.

"W-what the? What happened!? Did he just?" Boruto was at a loss for words.

"It seems Master Kakashi tried using the Chidori to try to kill Zabuza…but….Haku sacrificed himself…." Mitsuki surmised.

"….He gave his life….for him…" Sarada's tongue clicked the inside of her mouth as Naruto was just as shaken as the kids from the future.

"What the? What the heck's going on here!?" Naruto nearly fell on his butt from shock as Tazuna finally managed to find words to speak.

"Isn't that the young man in the mask?" Tazuna asked as Sakura was at a loss for words.

"The boy threw himself in front of my attack…He saved your worthless life…at the cost of his own…" Kakashi's eyes narrowed at Zabuza who merely laughed rather than feeling sad his disciple was gone.

"Well done Haku…" Zabuza grinned before readying his sword.

"Kakashi-Sensei, watch out!" Sakura pointed out to her sensei as Team Konohamaru were nothing short of disgusted of what they were seeing.

"He's gonna cut through him to get to Old Man Kakashi!?" Boruto growled as he wanted to throw a vanishing Rasengan at the bastard but stopped himself as Kakashi was able to jump his way to safety.

It was then that Sakura had finally taken notice of Naruto and was surprisingly happy to see him.

"Is that….Naruto? Naruto! Over here, Naruto!" Sakura waved at Naruto as he was anything but happy to see the pinkette.

Such a scene would have been comical, not given the circumstances.

"So you and Sasuke are all right?" Sakura asked as Naruto turned his head from Sakura, not having the will to tell her the truth.

"Where is Sasuke?" Sasuke asked as Naruto clenched his teeth, not having the will to tell her the truth.

Sakura's eyes widened in horror as she appeared to piece together what happened as Tazuna looked towards the young girl.

"Let me take you to him Sakura. That way you won't be disobeying your sensei." Tazuna suggested as Sakura tightly grasped his hand.

"…Thank you…" Sakura gratefully thanked as Naruto sounded close to tears as she ran right on past Naruto, seemingly paying him no mind.

"Sasuke…he….sacrificed himself…to save me…" Naruto teared up as Team Konohamaru stared somberly at Naruto.

"At least he's okay now." Mitsuki was quick to remind everyone.

"Yeah but they don't know that…they actually believe he's gone…" Boruto frowned which was proven as everyone could hear Sakura's loud, sorrowful wails.

"Poor mom…Lord Seventh…" Sarada felt tears come to her eyes as she looked to see her teammates smiling at her.

"Pull yourself together, Sarada. Both dad and uncle Sasuke are fine, remember that. Let's just get through these memories, okay?" Boruto suggested as Sarada gave a small smile in return.

"Okay…" Sarada smiled though frowned when she saw Naruto clench his chest.

Almost as if Sakura's cries were ripping into his very soul.

However the sound of fighting got everyone's attention.

"I'll rip you in half!" Zabuza growled as he tried slicing and dicing Kakashi but what everyone noticed was that he was moving slower than normal.

"He's nearing his end. Good too. Rat bastard." Boruto growled, upset at how Zabuza scoffed off Haku's sacrifice.

"Those kunai in his arm aren't helping his sword swinging. He should've gotten them up the ass." Sarada scowled as Kakashi appeared right behind the rogue ninja and clenched his temples.

"You have no idea what real strength is. Game over, you lose" Kakashi growled, as he narrowly dodged another attack from Zabuza's blade meant to cut him in half as he stabbed Zabuza's remaining arm.

"And that's essentially wrapped this match up. He can't even make hand signs." Mitsuki said.

"C'mon, Kakashi! Finish him!" Boruto cheered as Naruto was stunned at what was now turning out to be the downfall of the demon of the Mist.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes, ready to end this fight before the tapping of a cane got everyone's attention.

"Well, well. So this is how it turns out, huh? Did quite a job on you, didn't he, Zabuza? You look like yesterday's sashimi." A new voice on the bridge announced as everyone turned to the source.

Across from Zabua and our heroes stood a very short man wearing a business suit with his left arm in a sling who was surrounded by a lot of mercenary and thug like ninja.

"Who is this short dupe?" Boruto bluntly asked.

"…This must be Gato…." Mitsuki surmised as Sarada face-palmed.

"Great. This whole day just keeps on getting better." Sarada sighed as Zabuza was less than happy to see his employer.

"Gato, I don't understand. What is all this? Why are you here? And who're these thugs you've brought with you?" Zabuza asked as Gato merely snickered at Zabuza's lost expression.

"Well you see, there's been a slight change in plans. According to the new plan, you die right here on this bridge, Zabuza." Gato's grin only widened as Zabuza's eyes widened in horror.

"Wait what? But he was just doing what he told him to!" Sarada exclaimed as Mitsuki shook his head.

"In the end he failed to kill Mister Tazuna and is on death's doorstep. As far as Gato's concerned, he's pretty much expendable at this point." Mitsuki said as Boruto couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"I don't like that rat bastard Zabuza but still….." Boruto couldn't wrap his mind around betraying someone who was loyal to you.

"What!?" Zabuza asked in voice full of disbelief and anger.

"That's right. You're too expensive so I've decided to take you off the payroll. Of course, even these thugs I brought with me cost something so if you could slaughter a few of them before they take you down, I'd appreciate it. Think you can manage that, ninja of the mist?" Gato asked in a voice that was no doubt patronizing to the Mist ninja that was irritating to both the ninja in and out of the memory.

"Help me out before I kill you? What a very generous offer." Sarada rolled her eyes.

"Okay I don't like that Zabuza guy but this guy is way worse already." Boruto said as neither of his teammates could disagree with him.

"Look at you. You look as demonic as a wet kitten." Gato and his men all snickered as Naruto looked around at all the ninja as he realized they were outnumbered and exhausted from the earlier fight.

Despite this, Zabuza didn't seem all too fazed with these seemingly impossible odds stacked against them.

"Well, well, Kakashi. It would seem our fight is at an end. Since I am no longer in Gato's employ, Tazuna's safe. We have no quarrel." Zabuza informed everyone.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right." Kakashi replied, seemingly relieved as he was no doubt at the end of his rope.

"At least they don't have to worry about Zabuza anymore." Boruto said before he noticed Gato walking straight up to where Haku was.

"That reminds me, you little punk….You grabbed me and nearly broke my arm. I've been meaning to repay you for that." Gato murmured and before anyone knew anything, he kicked the dead body of Haku, straight in the face.

Sarada gasped as Boruto's eyes widened as he growled.

"That bastard!" Boruto yelled as he summoned the wind chakra in his palm before throwing it as it went right through Gato.

"Damn it!" Boruto growled, seriously hating this man as Haku never deserved this treatment. The hatred he had for Momoshiki, Kinshiki and Urashiki were really paling in comparison to the hatred he had for this guy.

"Huh, I only wish he was alive to feel it." Gato taunted, pushing his cane into Haku's face as Naruto was nothing short of pissed while Kakashi's face was blank as Zabuza's eyes were shadowed.

"Get away! Get away from him, you scum!" Naruto yelled, ready to charge and kick this bastard's ass but thankfully Kakashi caught him in his arms.

"Hey stop! Use your head." Kakashi tried talking some sense to Naruto though this didn't improve Naruto's mood in the slightest as he glared at Zabuza's back who was still unresponsive to what was happening.

"Well, what about you, Zabuza? You gonna let him do that?" Naruto asked, not wanting to believe Zabuza would be so cold as to allow someone piece of pond scum to treat someone so tactless and coldly.

"Be quiet, you fool. Haku's dead, what does it matter?" Zabuza bluntly spat as this made Naruto, Boruto and Sarada all the angrier.

"What does he mean what does it matter!? That was someone who literally gave his world for him!" Boruto clenched his fists.

"You mean you could just stand there and watch him get treated like a dog? You and Haku were together for years, doesn't that mean anything?" Naruto pressured as Zabuza remained unmoving in his stance.

"You don't understand the way of Shinobi. I merely used him just as Gato used me. Now, it's over. His usefulness is at an end. The loss of his strength and skill, yes, that means something to me. But the boy? Nothing." Zabuza finished as Boruto and Sarada couldn't believe what they were hearing as Mitsuki was stone-faced.

He merely stared at his teammates in sadness as they were innocent in the sense that they had never seen cold-hearted ninja such as Zabuza before while he…he was practically born into those circumstances.

"That bastard…he died…and he could give a shit less!?" Boruto clenched his fist as he wished that he could just shove a Rasengan right in his skull. He would no doubt deserve it.

"In a just world, Haku would still be alive and Zabuza would be the one gone like a dog." Sarada spat disdainfully as Naruto's expression manifested the anger radiating within him.

"If you mean that you're an even bigger rat than I thought." Naruto spat, his voice surprisingly calm which was a contrast to the anger within him.

"Okay, that's enough. Calm down, Naruto. He's not the enemy, not right now." Kakashi tried reminding his student who would hear none of it.

"Ugh, shut up! As far as I'm concerned he's enemy number one!" Naruto yelled pointing at Zabuza, growling as he snarled his teeth as Zabuza merely cocked one eye in his direction.

"Why you! You ungrateful….after everything he did for you…Haku lived for you! You were the most important thing in the world to him! And he meant nothing to you!? Nothing at all!? While he was sacrificing everything for you, you never felt anything at all for him? And…if I become stronger…does that mean…I'll become as coldhearted as you are? He threw his life away and for what!? For you and your dream! You never let him have a dream of his own….but he didn't care…and you just tossed him aside like he was nothing. A broken tool….man….that's just wrong…so wrong!" Naruto finished his declaration to Zabuza as emotions overtook him as he was actually crying outright with Boruto and Sarada in tears with Naruto's words.

"Haku…didn't deserve that…." Sarada turned her head.

"Even if he tried killing my dad and Uncle Sasuke….He's just…a victim…used by Zabuza…." Boruto's eyes watered as he tried keeping the tears back but to no avail.

Mitsuki was silent, wondering if Naruto's words meant anything to Zabuza or not.

"Kid…you talk too much…" Zabuza stated suddenly getting Naruto's attention although much to everyone's surprise his voice sounded like it was breaking.

"…Zabuza…?" Boruto asked with teary eyes as everyone looked to see tears falling down in front of Zabuza as they looked to see Zabuza turn to Naruto, crying silently.

"Your words cut deep…deeper than any blade….while he fought you…his heart was breaking in two….You see, Haku was always too soft and too kind. He felt pain and sorrow and now curse him, I feel them too….." Zabuza said as Team Konohamaru couldn't believe what they were hearing….It was beyond anything they expected from the rogue ninja.

"And now…I feel content that this is the way that it ends." Zabuza said before using his teeth to bite down the bandages covering his face, revealing his sharp teeth.

"…So…he really cared about him…deep down underneath all that crap…" Boruto wiped his eyes.

"….I guess…even the rockiest surface has a soft bottom…" Sarada muttered, her mind flashing back to her father as Zabuza turned to Naruto, an expression seemingly full of bemusement.

"Well? Cat got your tongue? Are you so surprised to discover that I'm human? Even Shinobi are human, no matter how hard we fight to escape that simple fact, we always fail. Well…at least I failed…" Zabuza actually smiled as Team Konohamaru stared at Zabuza with feelings of surprise and even…a little respect?

"To think…..he's a big softy under all that…" Sarada said.

"He doesn't even realize it yet but his words change Zabuza…" Mitsuki smiled.

"Yeah….it's like a jutsu of talking that dad has…" Boruto slightly joked.

"Boy! Give me your kunai." Zabuza ordered Naruto as Naruto was slightly surprised at Zabuza's request but decided "why not?". After all, Zabuza wasn't an enemy anymore, right?

"Here." Naruto said, throwing Zabuza his kunai which he instantly caught with his teeth and in a flash that no one could see, Zabuza was bum rushing Gato and his thugs for one target in particular, Gato.

"Whoa! Look at him go! He's like…a demon!" Boruto exclaimed, admiring how fast and strong Zabuza was, even with one foot in the grave.

Sarada cringed, noticing all the blood flying at how vicious and brutally Zabuza was literally slicing and dicing Gato's men though he was also in turn getting impaled with several different swords. Despite this, Zabuza was unfazed or rather, this seemed to give him even more adrenaline.

Before anything knew anything, Zabuza finally caught Gato and deciding to greet him with a kunai straight to his chest, causing him to vomit out a mouthful of blood.

"And…there's the finisher." Boruto cringed as Zabuza released Naruto's kunai from Gato's chest.

"Y-you crazy fool….If you're so eager to join your friend, go ahead. But you're not taking me. Not this time!" Gato spat out despite the blood trailing from his mouth.

"Huh, I won't be joining Haku. Where he's gone, I cannot follow." Zabuza muttered, feeling a little woozy as it seemed everything was finally catching up to him but despite this, he would ignore his body's demands.

"Stay back! Stay back!" Gato nearly fell back as Zabuza's face was mere inches from his.

"WE wouldn't be welcome to where Haku's gone. Hell's where we're going, Gato! I can't think of a more fitting destination for a demon ninja, can you? I'm told there are many demons down there, of all shapes and sizes. Oh yes, I should fit right in! You on the other hand Gato, well I fear you're in for a long and very painful eternity!" Zabuza smiled with a deranged look, making him look like a true demon as he picked back up the Kunai he dropped as he slashed across Gato's chest three times before finally ending everything with a sharp slash across Gato's neck, sending his decapitated head flying into the sea below.

Naruto gasped taking a couple of steps back as Gato's thugs looked horrified at the death of their leader while Kakashi watched everything with a neutral facial expression.

"Holy shit! He cut his head off!" Boruto pointed as Sarada cringed.

"I'm all in for getting your just desserts but wasn't that a bit too much?" Sarada shook her head, clearly unnerved at what she was seeing as Mitsuki shook his head.

"Given this is obviously not his first betrayal I'd say he definitely got his just desserts." Mitsuki stated in a plain tone.

"I don't understand how you can watch stuff like this unfazed…" Sarada sighed as Zabuza turned his eyes to the rest of Gato's men, the look in his eye daring one of these idiots to even try to attack him.

After his brutal and vicious murder of their leader, they knew they'd only be seeing Gato.

As Zabuza slowly made his way over to where the heroes were, Zabuza's knees started to slowly buckle as he fell to his knees.

"Haku…so this…is goodbye at last…not once did I ever thank you, Haku…" Zabuza said with a face full of despair and regret before he fell face down to the ground below.

"Oh no…is he?" Boruto asked as Naruto turned his head away, not wanting to see Zabuza the way he was. The way he was….he deserved to be remembered with at least some dignity.

"Don't turn away." Kakashi commanded to Naruto.

"When you live like a warrior, this is how it ends…." Kakashi stated as Naruto could say nothing.

"He's right…it's said how you die determine the matter of your person…" Mitsuki solemnly said.

"And with all of that…maybe…that Zabuza guy wasn't all that bad himself…" Boruto frowned.

However, before their conversation could continue any further, a happy scream from Sakura got the attention of everyone both in and out of the memory.

"Naruto! It's Sasuke! He's alright!" Sakura exclaimed, happy that the love of her life was still alive.

For validation, Sasuke weakly waved one hand to Naruto as Naruto's eyes filled with tears, nothing short of happy that not his rival, but his friend was alive and well.

"That's Uncle Sasuke for ya!" Boruto grinned as Sarada smiled, wiping her eyes as Mitsuki also smiled.

"Like Master Zabuza said….Haku was too kind…..he never meant to kill the two of them from the start…" Mitsuki smiled as Boruto turned to Haku with a sad frown.

"…Still…he's gone…and he doesn't deserve to be gone….or Zabuza…they were just used…." Boruto frowned.

Sarada was silent but she seemed to be receptive to Boruto's words alongside Mitsuki.

Kakashi smiled underneath his mask, "Well, well, will wonders never cease?"

"Hey! Hold on!" A thug from Gato's side got the attention of all our heroes.

"Don't start getting too comfortable." One of Gato's men jeered at Team Seven.

"Yeah, this party ain't over yet. Who's gonna pay us now that Gato's gone? No way we're gonna leave here empty-handed. So we'll just hit that village and see what they have there." Another of Gato's thugs grinned as they all seemed elated at that idea.

"Bastards!" Boruto growled, wishing he could smack these bastards and give them their just desserts.

"And it looks like Team Seven is barely running at this point." Mitsuki noticed how exhausted and wounded everyone was.

"Not good." Kakashi scowled under his mask as Naruto turned to his sensei, definitely not ready to throw in the towel.

"C'mon, Kakashi-Sensei! You must have a jutsu that could take care of this bunch of losers!" Naruto pressured his sensei, having no intention of giving up.

"Not right now. I used too much of my chakra." Kakashi shook his head as Gato's men were all but ready to gang rush the Team.

But before they could reach one step, an arrow landed right in front of them, surprising everyone.

"What the?" Boruto asked.

"There's one little thing you're forgetting about. Before you set foot in our village, you'll have to go through all of us!" A villager from the Land of Waves yelled as it turns out Inari had managed to rally all of the villagers to stand up against Gato and his men. However….what everyone noticed was the look in their eyes.

Gone was the look of absolute hopelessness in their eyes and in its place was a burning will to protect their loved ones. And in the middle of them all stood none other than Inari, holding an arrow slinger in hand.

"About time they're ready to fight back!" Boruto pumped his fists.

"And it's thanks to Lord Seventh…I wouldn't be surprised if they named this bridge after him…" Sarada smiled as Boruto shot her a questionable glance while Mitsuki simply chuckled.

"Inari!" Naruto couldn't stop the proud grin from adorning his features.

"Heh! Heroes usually shop up at the last minute, you know?" Inari pumped his fist, grinning back as such a sight was enough to bring tears to Tazuna's eyes.

"They've all come…" Tazuna couldn't stop the proud tears from leaving his eyes as finally his village had found the will to fight back.

"Heh, no way I'm gonna miss out on all the fun! Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto grinned as he summoned four clones by his side as the remnants of Gato's men looked like they were starting to bite off more than they could chew.

"Huh, I might have just enough chakra left to help you out. Shadow Clone Jutsu…Kakashi-Style!" Kakashi said as he summoned nearly a hundred Shadow Clones.

"Enough chakra, huh?" Boruto snickered as he couldn't believe how much chakra Kakashi had despite his weakened and bloodied state.

"Okay, still wanna fight." Kakashi challenged Gato's men as that was enough of an incentive for them to all leave, nearly tripping on each other as they barreled out of the bridge in literal waves.

"Pfft, what cowards." Sarada rolled her eyes.

"I know…I wanted to see their asses get kicked." Boruto sighed, shaking his head in disappointment.

"At least it's all over." Mitsuki smiled as Inari took this chance to celebrate their victory.

"VICTORY!" Inari cheered as this chain of events not only meant the downfall of Gato's men but rather for a chance for their land to be rebuilt and reborn.

While everyone was happily cheered and celebrating the event, Kakashi took this time to go over to Zabuza's body.

"…Sounds…like…it's over…" Zabuza weakly noted.

"He's still alive!? After all that!?" Sarada adjusted her glasses, not believing that Zabuza could still be alive with so many wounds.

"He is the 'Demon of the Hidden Mist' for a reason." Boruto shrugged though he was slightly happy. Zabuza had really gotten his respect with his last action.

"Yeah…." Kakashi answered as he gravely looked down, knowing that Zabuza's end was soon coming. It was all but confirmed at this point.

"…Kakashi…I have a favor to ask…" Zabuza asked in his weakened state.

"What is it?" Kakashi asked though he already had an inkling of an idea of what Zabuza's request would be.

"Take me to him….before I go, I need to see him one last time…" Zabuza requested as Team Konohamaru's hearts started to sink as Kakashi finally put his headband to the normal position he normally put it.

"…Sure…" Kakashi looked at Zabuza with empathy in his eye as he gently took the swords that impaled him out of Zabuza's body so as to not accidentally kill him.

"This is it….he's about to go…" Mitsuki solemnly stated as Boruto and Sarada felt tears prickle their eyes though this was a bit of a surprise for the two given how much they disliked Zabuza and Haku not too long ago.

"Wait….it's snowing?" Boruto asked.

"It's almost symbolic….almost….like if….Haku….is crying that his master died despite everything he did for him…." Sarada bit her lip as everyone in the memory started to take note of the change in temperature and weather.

"It's snowing? At this time of year?" The villagers asked as it was asinine for it to snow in summer time.

Zabuza merely stared at the snowy sky with a blank expression as he seemed to voice what Sarada actually verbalized before Kakashi gingerly set Zabuza down by the boy he loved despite everything.

"Thank you, Kakashi…" Zabuza thanked Kakashi as he looked ahead….not to Kakashi but rather to the sky before turning to his precious subordinate as he looked to him with a teary eye.

"…You were always at my side….the least I can do is to be beside you at the end…." Zabuza started to move his hand as the snow started to pick up and get heavier.

"I know it cannot be…but I wish I could go to where you have gone…how I wish I could join you there…..Haku…" Zabuza gently caressed Haku's cheek before he was gone….

But almost as if Haku was welcoming him to the afterlife with him, the sun peered through the cloudy sky, illuminating Haku as if he were an angel welcoming Zabuza to Heaven with him.

Mitsuki was able to reign in his emotions the most while Boruto and Sarada didn't even bother to hide their tears.

"…He….they….weren't all that bad…" Boruto wiped his eyes on his jacket sleeve, not expecting to be feeling actual sadness and sorrow over two people he hated nearly thirty minutes ago. Or however how long they've been in these memories.

"….If there's a heaven…I hope they're together…" Sarada took her glasses and wiped her eyes as Naruto was just as distraught as those two.

"He told me…where he came from…it was always snowing…all the time…" Naruto didn't even bother being dignified as he was openly crying at the loss of the two.

"Of course…his spirit was as pure as the snow….And you never know Zabuza…maybe….you will join them…." Kakashi said as everyone took a moment to bow respectfully for the two, despite everything that's happened.

"…It's weird…we're all collectively mourning two people who were initially main detractors in the formation of this bridge…." Tazuna solemnly stated.

"It's like…they're like us….victims…." Tsunami frowned, muttering a respective prayer for the two.

"I'll explain everything back home…" Kakashi said, in a voice full of sadness. It was unlike anyone had ever heard before….

"Wow…it even affected Old Man Kakashi…" Boruto wiped his eyes…..feeling a bit numb after what he had seen.

"Of course….he has been around for a long time…" Mitsuki replied as his heart went out to his teammate. Unlike him, Boruto and Sarada were innocent of the darkness of the Shinobi World and sometimes, he envied them for that.

"What're we gonna do with them?" Sakura pointed at their dead bodies, feeling just as numb as Naruto, Boruto and Sarada.

"Take them with us….." Sasuke answered as he was still leaning onto Sakura for support.

"Sasuke?" Sakura asked.

"They….were Shinobi with honor and respect….they deserve…to be…buried as such…." Sasuke simply stated.

"Sasuke…" Sakura muttered as Team Konohamaru smiled at the younger version of Sasuke.

"Even if he's an arrogant little snot…" Sarada began with a smile.

"He's still honorable…" Boruto grinned, happy to have someone like Sasuke Uchiha as a teammate.

Team Konohamaru watched as everyone returned to the Land of Waves before Zabuza and Haku were given proper burials near the outskirts of the village and it was here that Team Seven all gave respectful prayers to the duo.

"…Is that really it, Kakashi-Sensei? Is that the ninja way? To use and be used by people like tools?" Sakura frowned as Naruto had definitely clued both her and Sasuke as to what happened when Sasuke was "dead".

"Shinobi are all mere tools in the hands of destiny. No point in wondering whether it's right or wrong. It just is…It's the same in the Village Hidden in the Leaves…." Kakashi frowned as Boruto and Sarada were silent.

"It is wrong….no one should be just a tool for someone…after all…people are free to live and die however they choose….but….even if it's like that here…" Sarada softly smiled.

"It's different now…" Boruto smiled as Naruto stopped any further conversation from proceeding.

"Well if you ask me, if that's what being a ninja is all about, something's out of whack. I mean is that why we go through all this training? Just to end up like them?" Naruto sadly frowned.

"What is the reason for that?" A bandaged Sasuke asked as Kakashi sighed, wondering how to explain things to his teammates. Even if Sasuke lived through the hell of losing his clan, he only had to experience that hell for one night. Other people in the ninja world had to live through even worse and harsher conditions for days upon weeks upon years.

"Well it's a question without an answer and that is something we ninja have to deal with in every day of our lives….like Zabuza and the kid…" Kakashi stated before Naruto suddenly perked up.

"Okay…." Naruto began, getting the attention of everyone.

"I've just come to a decision. From now on, I'm finding my own ninja way. A way that's straight and true and without any regrets. From now on, I'm following the way of Naruto!" Naruto vowed as the sun seemed to illuminate his face as everyone both in and out of the memory smiled at him.

"And it's what way that's given us the world we have now…" Mitsuki smiled.

"Heh…I'm just interested in seeing just how he got everything to how it is now." Boruto chuckled as Team Konohamaru watched as Team Seven assisted with the building of the bridge in the coming weeks before finally…it was time for Team Seven to finally return home.

And as such, the entire village had chosen to see off the heroic team.

"We ever could have finished the bridge without you. I can't tell you how much we're going to miss you." Tazuna smiled at the team.

"Do be careful." Tsunami added as the team all smiled at the villagers.

"Thank you for everything." Kakashi smiled back at the village.

"I dunno about you guys but I was getting a bit homesick…" Boruto chuckled.

"Even though it's not our Leaf Village." Sarada giggled as Naruto turned to everyone, or rather Inari, in particular.

"Now, now…don't get all choked up….We'll come back and visit real soon." Naruto grinned in a voice that was clearly trying to hold back his tears.

"You swear you will?" Inari asked in a choked voice.

"H-huh…Y-you know Inari…it's alright to cry if you want…there's nothing wrong with that…go for it…" Naruto grinned, trying to choke down their tears.

"Oh boy." Sarada rolled her eyes.

"Who's gonna choke first? My money's on dad." Boruto grinned.

"I wage 100 ryo on both of them." Mitsuki grinned back.

"Who says I wanna cry!? Anyway, if there's nothing wrong with it, why don't you go on and cry?" Inari grinned despite the tears filling his eyes.

"No…you first…!" Naruto grinned as both boys looked close to breaking down right then and there before they turned away from each other, both boys were a sobbing mess.

"How pathetic." Sarada rolled her eyes as Boruto growled as he paid Mitsuki his money.

"Thanks for the money!" Mitsuki cheerfully thanked as Boruto sighed.

"How uncool…" Boruto laughed as Naruto managed to recompose himself as the team started on their way home.

"Haha! As soon as we get back, I'm gonna have Iruka-Sensei fix me up a whole mess of ramen to celebrate a mission accomplished. Oh and just wait till I tell Konohamaru about all my adventures! The kid's gonna worship me!" Naruto grinned.

"Of course!" Boruto rolled his eyes, albeit in good nature.

"Hey…" Sakura began.

"Yeah?" Naruto asked.

"Not you, Naruto." Sakura rudely chided Naruto before turning to her real target, "Hey Sasuke, when we get back, you wanna go out and so something together?" Sakura asked as Sarada leaned in, clearly interested. Sasuke however wasn't interested.

"I don't think so, thanks." Sasuke bluntly declined Sasuke's offer as Sarada nearly fell as she was frozen in place with her mother.

"Oh c'mon, how do they even get together if they're still like this!?" Sarada exclaimed in a voice full of annoyance as it seemed they were still like this nearly two decades later.

Boruto and Mitsuki however found the rejection nothing short of hilarious.

"Can we say friendzoned?" Mitsuki held out a hand.

"Totes!" Boruto grinned, high-fiving Mitsuki's hand.

"You guys are awful!" Sarada growled at the two who snickered at her.

Naruto, taking this time to use some of his "Uzumaki Charm" on Sakura decided to hit on her.

"Hey Sakura, I'll do something with you if you want." Naruto grinned as Sakura was less than flattered with Naruto's invitation.

"What!? That was a private conversation! Beat it!" Sakura yelled, punching Naruto straight off of ironically his own bridge!

"Geez! Younger Auntie Sakura was even scarier!" Boruto yelled as Sarada was too scared, remembering a certain memory that involved questions and a house.

"Note to self…never piss off mom…" Sarada gulped as Kakashi was able to fish out Naruto as Naruto decided to walk side by side with Kakashi as Sasuke and Sakura walked on ahead.

"You wanted to talk with me?" Kakashi asked, surprised that Naruto would ask to talk to him out of the blue.

"Gimme another A-rank mission!?" Naruto demanded as Boruto and Sarada were quick to face-palm.

"Is he stupid!? The only reason they came through this alive was because Haku didn't want to kill them! If he did…" Sarada gulped already realizing the ramifications on what could've happened. She wouldn't even exist for one.

"No way! I can't believe everyone came out unscathed…" Kakashi said as Naruto actually stopped in his tracks as he looked thoughtful about something.

"Well…learn more jutsu to become stronger, then you tackle more A-ranked missions." Kakashi suggested as that answer didn't seem to satisfy the blond.

"Well…you're right about learning more jutsu but I've also got to find other things that I want to protect. After all…Haku said to me when a person has something precious they want to protect, they can truly become strong…" Naruto looked down as the memory flashed to their meeting in the forest before quickly flashing back to present time.

"Huh…he really took his words to heart huh?" Sarada asked as Boruto was silent….remembering his father's sacrifice in the fight against Momoshiki and Kinshiki.

"I see…so do you feel the same way?" Kakashi asked the young boy who grinned.

"Yeah! After watching Haku and Zabuza, I started to realize that…." Naruto grinned as Kakashi smiled back as Naruto decided to speak up what else was on his mind.

"Hey, hey, Kakashi-Sensei, what do you think about this?" Naruto asked, confusing Kakashi.

"About what?" Kakashi asked as Naruto smiled softly.

"Even if they were our enemies…I kinda liked them!" Naruto proclaimed, surprising Kakashi as Team Konohamaru couldn't disagree with Naruto's feelings.

Taking Kakashi's silence as a sign of something going wrong, Naruto lost his smile as he raised an eyebrow.

"Is that wrong?" Naruto asked before Kakashi smiled again.

"No…I feel the same." Kakashi smiled before the bluish-purplish mist surrounded the two before the memory started to slowly die away….

* * *

And the Land of Waves arc is INDEED FINISHED! ^_^

Man going through this arc again made me remember just how GOOD of a first arc that was!

Like for me, the first arc of an anime can be hit or miss!

For example, One Piece for me didn't pick up until Arlong Park while I found the Saiyan Saga in DBZ to be a bit boring XD

I used to wonder if Zabuza actually went to heaven or not BUT I now know:

If OBITO can go to Heaven, then anyone can! XD

Also I hope you all liked how I had Naruto's nine tailed influence actually change the color of the memory!

I figured since the chakra is so powerful, it'd make sense for the memory to change as a result!

Nothing much more to say than thank you for all the support and Chapter 12 will OFFICIALLY START THE CHUNIN EXAMS! =D

And that lovely chapter is coming Wednesday, June 17th 2020 so kindly look forward to it then! ^_^

And until next month, stay safe and stay happy friends! ^_^


	12. Chunin Exams Begin

Well guys, this chapter marks the beginning of my SECOND favorite arc of the original Naruto series! That's right guys! We're starting the CHUNIN EXAMS arc! Hopefully you guys are as excited for this arc as much as I am to write it! ^_^

Hope you all enjoy the chapter! =D

As the mist ended the memory, a tiny Kurama stood looked slightly bemused at the expressions of Team Konohamaru.

"The whelps are starting to see the brat's growth from the huge brat he was into a…less one." Kurama smirked.

"I can only wonder how they'll react to the next couple of memories…especially that little Uchiha whelp." Kurama huffed before the memory steadily ended.

Team Konohamaru stood in relative silence as they took in everything they had seen.

"Wow….to think that was dad's first real mission….that was definitely one for the history books…." Boruto said as the foggy mist died down.

"Yeah….and to think dad almost died…" Sarada looked down as Mitsuki put a reassuring hand on Sarada's shoulder.

"Like Zabuza said, if Haku wanted to, Master Sasuke would indeed be dead so just look at the positives." Mitsuki smiled as Sarada gave him a small smile of gratitude before it slowly declined.

"Yeah….but….I'm just wondering…..dad said that he wanted to kill his brother….why?" Sarada looked to her teammates.

"Like I said before, I didn't know Uncle Sasuke wanted to kill his brother. Then again dad was pretty vague when I asked him about it in the past…." Boruto answered his friend honestly as she looked for his eyes for any sign of a deceit before finding none.

Mitsuki however looked conflicted as if to wonder whether to tell her the truth of the Uchiha Clan Massacre since he had heard the whole story from his father but…knowing how emotional Sarada was…

However the bluish mist suddenly came, stopping any further talking from occurring as they found themselves in Naruto's very messy room.

"Ugh! Talk about a pigsty." Sarada crinkled her nose.

"Eh, boys are dirty." Boruto shrugged though he knew if his mother found his room as a pigsty…

Naruto stumbled around after yawning his awakening into the world, not paying attention to the different scroll and journals littered across the floor.

"Looks like someone's been busy." Mitsuki mused as Naruto made his way to the dinner table in his kitchen as he ate a piece of buttered toast though unlike the morning of his graduation, he actually made sure to check the milk and see if it's spoiled or not.

"Guess he's learned his lesson from last time." Boruto chuckled.

"Can't blame the bloke." Sarada snickered as Naruto got himself dressed before locking his apartment and getting himself ready for the day ahead.

Naruto cracked his knuckles before grinning.

"Okay, wake up. Here we go. Rock N Roll! I'm ready!" Naruto cheered as he eagerly made his way to the meeting spot where his team was. Or rather most of his team as Kakashi was MIA.

Naruto grinned as he saw his crush, patiently waiting for her sensei.

"Hey, good morning, Sakura. What's up?" Naruto grinned before losing his cheerful expression as he greeted Sasuke with an irritated scowl which Sasuke returned before the two huffed and turned their heads away from each other.

"Geez, what's with them?" Boruto blinked in confusion as it seemed like they were getting along worse than during the Land of Waves mission.

"Yeah….you'd think them nearly losing each other would make them not be so….vicious so each other…." Sarada muttered.

"Well that just goes to show how interesting Lord Seventh and Master Sasuke is." Mitsuki smiled.

"For a lack of better words." Boruto sighed as the morning seemed to wind on as Team Seven impatiently waited for their sensei who seemed to take his sweet time doing whatever.

"Geez where is he?" Boruto asked with a bored yawn as it seemed to be nearly ten in the morning when it was originally seven in the morning.

"Probably reading his smut." Sarada muttered to herself, learning from her mother what the Make Out Series actually was after her mini adventure with Boruto that time before his expedition to the past.

Team Seven looked close to falling asleep or rather Naruto and Sakura looked close to dozing off while Sasuke didn't look too pleased with Kakashi as Kakashi finally made his way to his team.

"Hey, guys. Good morning. Sorry I'm late, afraid I got lost on the path of life." Kakashi cheerfully smiled behind his mask as Boruto, Sarada and Sasuke deadpanned.

"Real convincing excuse." Sarada rolled her eyes.

"Huh!?" Naruto and Sakura yelled as Sasuke just gave his sensei an annoyed glare.

However, upon calming down, Naruto gave his sensei an excited grin.

"I'm ready for the next ninja mission, sensei! And hey c'mon, no more of this dumb beginner stuff, okay? I want a chance to prove myself. I'm talking a real mission where I could show what I'm made of. I gotta break out and burn it up, see!?" Naruto grinned as an ember flame erupted around him.

"Uh, maybe he needs to cool off." Boruto cringed, feeling second hand embarrassment at the younger version of his father, wishing he wished he had that old ninja tool from Katasuke.

"Uh, right. I get it, that's great, Naruto. Now take it easy, would you?" Kakashi nervously said as Naruto turned to his rival with a fierce glare.

"Believe it!" Naruto roared as Team Konohamaru saw an image of Naruto saving Sasuke with Sasuke admitting how great Naruto is.

"Oh get real." Sarada rolled her eyes as Boruto grinned remembering the words that Sasuke told him about his father when he first took him as an apprentice.

"Let us know when you're done fantasizing, Naruto, so we can start the mission, alright?" Kakashi asked, having a little more than enough of Naruto's nonsense.

"Right!" Naruto cheerfully smiled.

"Could you not be so annoying, Naruto, just for once?" Sakura asked as Team Seven made their way to their mission spot, helping out at a local farm.

Naruto turned his eye to Sasuke who pulled out weeds out of the ground as Naruto shook his head before grinning.

"Well, I'm gonna beat Sasuke, anyway." Naruto said before ripping out all of the weeds out of the ground in less than five seconds before laughing proudly.

"Why do I feel like this is gonna end badly?" Boruto asked to no one in particular.

"Hey, you!" A lady said to Naruto who didn't look too pleased with him. Though Naruto being the lovable goof he was, took no note of this.

"Oh, hi, lady. I got rid of all of your weeds. Pretty cool, huh?" Naruto grinned as the lady could barely keep her rage under control.

"You pulled the weeds and you also pulled up my plants…." The lady grit her teeth as she started to literally shake in rage much to Naruto's confusion.

"…Huh?" Naruto asked, feeling utterly lost before realizing he mucked up.

"Those were special herbs I'd been growing and you destroyed them!" The woman yelled before throwing hands with the young ninja.

"And it definitely ended badly." Sarada sighed, answering Boruto's earlier message before it was time for Team Seven's next mission, fixing up trash out of a river stream.

As Naruto tried picking up a random soda can, he mis-stepped and nearly fell down a waterfall. Thankfully, he was saved at the last second by Sasuke.

"Thank god." Sarada sighed in relief.

"You are such a loser." Sasuke gave his rival a deadpan expression as Naruto grit his teeth at him before their last mission for the day involved caring for dogs. Being the knuckleheaded ninja he was, Naruto chose the heaviest dog which either on purpose or not led him into a mine field.

"You know they could have helped him." Sarada sighed.

"It's obvious they may have let him deal with all of that for their amusement." Mitsuki chuckled.

"Terrific." Sarada deadpanned as Sasuke and Sakura helped their teammate walk into the village as they walked down a local street in the Hidden Leaf Village.

"Look at you. You're hopeless, Naruto." Sakura chided her teammate as Sasuke chuckled.

"You really are one big problem." Sasuke smirked as that was enough for Naruto.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled, ready to pummel Sasuke again though Sakura held out an arm, stopping Naruto from advancing.

"If you keep this up, I'll finish you off myself!" Sakura threatened Naruto as Kakashi sighed.

"Guess we're not making a lot of progress on the teamwork thing, huh?" Kakashi shook his head, seeming to liven up Naruto even more.

"That's right! Our teamwork's all messed up and it's all because of you, Sasuke! You think you're better than everyone else!" Naruto spat in accusation as that seemed to make Sasuke stop his walking.

"Not everyone. Just you. Face it, I'm better and stronger than you are. It's a fact." Sasuke said not even looking back at Naruto, "Unless you have what it takes to prove me wrong." Turning back to Naruto as he fixed him with a glare, both of the boys daring each other to take the first step.

"What are they even fighting about!?" Sarada yelled in exasperation.

"You wouldn't understand. It's a rivalry to be the best. Neither of them wants to be inferior to each other." Boruto crossed his arms as he thought about his rivalries with Iwabe, Shinki and even the younger version of his father himself.

Sasuke grit his teeth as Kakashi looked to the sky before turning to his team.

"Alright, guys. Let's call it a day. You can beat each other to a pulp some other time. Anyway, I have to file my report on this mission." Kakashi explained as Sasuke lost some of the anger he had before scoffing.

"Whatever. I'm out of here." Sasuke took his leave which Sakura decided to happily follow after Sasuke.

Naruto merely sighed in disappointment as it looked like he would be rejected yet again. Though this didn't stop him from eavesdropping on their conversation though that wasn't too hard as Sasuke and Sakura weren't too far away.

"So why don't we….I mean, you know…let's do something more personal. I mean to improve our teamwork and all." Sakura beamed, hoping that Sasuke would be receptive to the idea.

An idea that was no doubt sure to fail.

"I swear you're just as bad as Naruto." Sasuke bluntly said as Sarada and Sakura deadpanned.

"Harsh." Boruto winced as Sasuke continued his mini rant to Sasuke.

"Instead of flirting, why don't you practice your jutsu and make the team stronger? Let's face it, you're actually worse than Naruto." Sasuke finished before taking his leave, not really interested in the small internal breakdown he caused Sakura.

"Damn that wasn't even directed to me yet I felt that." Boruto shook his head.

Sarada merely looked down.

"I'm just wondering…how did they even get together if they were like this as kids!" Sarada asked in dismay.

"It's like there's some sort of force that doesn't even know themselves." Mitsuki cheerfully chuckled as Sarada fixed her teammate with an annoyed glare.

"Don't worry, Sakura. Just forget about Sasuke. You and me can develop our teamwork all day!" Naruto cheerfully suggested though Sakura didn't look too thrilled at that idea before Kakashi decided to body-flicker away.

"Where is he off to?" Sarada asked.

"Guess we'll find out soon." Boruto shrugged before a small rock like thing suddenly came up behind Naruto.

"What is that? A rock?" Boruto blinked.

"And you can see it moved with legs." Mitsuki chuckled as Sarada sighed.

"Ten hundred ryo on who it is." Sarada sighed as the "rock" decided to follow and chase Naruto around for several seconds before Naruto got tired and decided to end the "game".

"That's the worse disguise of all time! There's no such thing as square rocks! It's completely obvious!" Naruto yelled as the "rock" snickered.

"You saw through my camouflage again. You're slick boss, just what I'd expect from my greatest rival!" The "box" said with a very familiar voice before it exploded revealing Konohamaru with two familiar faces.

"Hey! That's Uncle Udon." Boruto grinned.

"And Moegi-Sensei." Sarada smiled as she was finding the younger versions of all her superiors to be nothing but adorable.

"I think we used a little too much gunpowder, you guys…." Konohamaru ground out though Naruto didn't look too impressed with the three kids.

"I'm Moegi, the sassiest kunoichi in preschool!" Moegi happily introduced herself.

"I love algebra. Call me Udon!" Udon donned his own pose right next to Moegi.

"And I'm the number one ninja in the village, Konohamaru! And when we're all together-"Konohamaru said before they all posed together with Konohamaru in the center of Moegi and Udon.

"We're the Konohamaru Ninja Squad!" The Konohamaru Ninja Squad in question all introduced themselves.

Though…Naruto didn't look too impressed with the three munchkins.

"Yeah, I knew it was you, Konohamaru." Naruto muttered before noticing a very familiar piece of headwear wrapped around their three heads.

"Hm, hey. What're those things? Those goggles you're wearing on your head." Naruto asked as the three giggled.

"You used to wear goggles, remember? So we're copying you!" Konohamaru gleefully explained as Sarada giggled.

"That's too cute. Just like when you wore your dad's old jacket." Sarada smiled, smacking Boruto's shoulder as he turned his head to the side with a blush.

"Uh it wasn't because of hero worshipping or crap like that…" Boruto muttered.

"You sure about that?" Mitsuki grinned as Boruto glared at his snake friend.

"Shut up!" Boruto growled out.

"Hey, c'mon boss. You ought to be more excited!" Konohamaru glared at his boss as Naruto retained his uninterested facial expression.

"So…did you want something?" Naruto asked as this seemed to discourage Udon and Moegi.

"He's just trying to be cool." Konohamaru reassured his friends.

"Are you busy now? You know what we want." Moegi said as Naruto grinned.

"Hm…I Have to train, believe it!" Naruto pointed to himself with a proud thumbs up.

"But you promised you'd play ninja with us today!" Konohamaru whined.

"Haha, did I say that?" Naruto chuckled nervously as Sakura made her way over, still depressed in a slump over Sasuke's earlier words.

"A ninja playing ninja? You'd got to be kidding." Sakura deadpanned as Naruto blushed as she was practically glaring at his soul.

"Oh uh…hey Sakura…" Naruto embarrassingly greeted his teammate.

"Well she looks just pleased with him." Boruto sarcastically said.

"Well when the person that's better than you is a thirteen year old goof who spends his time devouring ramen and transforming into naked women, you'd feel pretty deflated yourself." Sarada replied.

Konohamaru seemed to notice the air between the two before an idea hatched in his head about their "relationship".

"I get it. You're a smooth operator, boss. C'mon, I know that she's your…girlfriend." Konohamaru winked as he stuck his pinky finger out, snapping Sakura from her depressive slump to an angered slump.

"Oh this ain't gonna end well…" Boruto muttered.

"Don't say anything stupid…." Sarada mentally pleaded with Naruto.

"Well, you could tell she's really crazy about me, huh?" Naruto grinned, obviously the wrong thing to say.

"That's it!" Sakura yelled, clocking Naruto dead in his face, sending him crashing backwards into a fence.

"Boss!" Konohamaru yelled as Moegi and Udon ran to his side as Naruto was left unconscious.

"Guess that answers your question, Sarada." Mitsuki smiled.

"Can't say he didn't deserve that." Sarada sighed as Boruto gulped as sweat ran down his head.

"Makes me glad I didn't piss off Auntie Sakura when I went back to the past…" Boruto shuddered.

"You're a witch and you're ugly too!" Konohamaru yelled.

"You idiot…." Boruto and Sarada said in unison as Sakura turned her rage onto the mini Naruto clone as he was left a beaten mess.

"Ugh…" Naruto and Konohamaru groaned as they got themselves up.

"Did you see how wide her forehead is?" Konohamaru asked as Sarada's eyes widened. Under any circumstance was no one allowed to mention her mother's forehead. According to her mother and Auntie Ino, her forehead was somewhat of a taboo subject.

This was proven as Sakura turned around almost robotically before chasing Naruto and his henchmen before they all bumped into two people. One was a black clad ninja with face paint and another was a woman with blonde hair and two pig tails.

"Hey! That's Uncle Kankuro and Auntie Temari!" Boruto grinned.

"So what are they doing in the Leaf if they're from Sunagakure?" Sarada asked.

"If they're here, that must mean that Master Gaara is nearby." Mitsuki noted.

"Yeah you're right." Boruto said as Kankuro turned towards Konohamaru with a harsh glare.

"Did you need something?" Kankuro asked as Naruto and Sakura were lost for words.

"U-uh…" Konohamaru asked before he was suddenly lifted into the hair with a fist from Kankuro.

"What the hell is going on? Why is Uncle Kankuro acting like a bully?" Boruto asked.

"Yeah what's the deal?" Sarada asked as Kankuro dangled Konohamaru by his shirt collar.

"So does this hurt, punk?" Kankuro tightened his grip on Konohamaru's collar, making him cringe in pain as Temari rolled her eyes.

"Put him down, Kankuro. Or you know, you'll pay for it later." Temari said as Naruto and Sakura were lost at what was happening.

"Hey, I'm sorry. The whole thing was my fault." Sakura tried apologizing though she went ignored as Kankuro's lips extended upwards to a smile.

"We've got a few minutes before he gets here. Let's mess with these punks, huh?" Kankuro suggested as Temari gave him a face of total apathy.

"Let go of me, you jerk!" Konohamaru kicked Kankuro though he practically could feel nothing as he gave an amused smile.

"You're feisty but not for long." Kankuro threated as that was the last straw for Naruto.

"Let him go!" Naruto yelled, charging his way towards Kankuro though he was suddenly knocked back by an unknown force.

"Wait, what just happened?" Boruto asked.

"It must be what's on his back." Mitsuki surmised.

"What the, what was that?" Naruto asked as Kankuro smirked at Naruto.

"You're a Leaf Genin, too? Looks like your village is full of wimps." Kankuro smirked, dragging Konohamaru's face closer to his as Konohamaru's face was starting to go blue.

"Drop him now or I'll take you apart! You got that, fool!?" Naruto threated as Sakura immediately put him in a headlock.

"You're the fool! Making threats isn't going to help, Naruto!" Sakura yelled as Kankuro shook his head at the two.

"Time and place you two! Seriously!" Sarada couldn't believe Naruto and Sakura were doing their usual nonsense in a place like this.

"You're annoying, all of you. I don't like runts or any other scrawny weaklings. So when a wimp like this starts shooting off his mouth, I just wanna break him in half." Kankuro threatened as Naruto and Sakura looked shaken as they couldn't believe someone would be so heartless as to harm a child while Udon and Moegi were in tears.

"What the hell is wrong with him!? Better yet, what changed with him?" Boruto asked, not believing such a thug was someone who was on good terms with Konohamaru-Sensei earlier.

"Fine. But I'm not involved in any of this, okay?" Temari scoffed as she turned to the side.

"First I'll take care of this little squirt then I'll waste the other one." Kankuro raised his fist, ready to pummel Konohamaru before a pebble stopped his advances, making him drop the child who scurried over to his friends as everyone turned to the source.

"You're a long way from home and you're way out your league." Sasuke said, casually tossing a rock in his hand and catching it.

"Sasuke!" Sakura squealed like a fangirl.

"That's my dad!" Sarada grinned.

"About time, that jerk." Boruto chuckled as Naruto or Kankuro didn't look too pleased with seeing Sasuke for vastly different reasons as Temari blushed, no doubt finding Sasuke attractive.

"Oh great, another wimp to tick me off." Kankuro growled at Sasuke who crushed the rock in his palm.

"Back off." Sasuke threatened with a glare to match Kankuro's as he showed the rock dust in his hands.

"So cool!" Sakura and Moegi squealed as Konohamaru turned to his boss in a mixture of anger and disappointment.

"How come you're not cool like that!?" Konohamaru yelled as Boruto snickered.

"Don't worry, he gets cooler later on." Boruto laughed.

"Uh, whaddaya mean? I could've taken that guy in two seconds flat." Naruto tried saving face as Konohamaru didn't look too convinced.

"Hey punk, get down here! You're the kind of pesky little snot I hate the most. All attitude and nothing to back it up." Kankuro glared at Sasuke before taking the object from behind his back and setting it on the ground, making Temari show other emotions other than irritation and apathy for the first time since she appeared in the memory.

"Wait, are you gonna use the crow for this?" Temari asked, making Team Konohamaru raise an eyebrow at the name.

"The crow?" Boruto asked.

"Guess that's what knocked Lord Seventh off his feet." Mitsuki noted.

"Kankuro…back off…" A familiar voice stopped Kankuro from using the crow even further.

"Wait that voice…uncle Gaara!" Boruto noted as it was indeed a younger Gaara with a different hairstyle handing upside down from a tree.

"Those eyes…he seems…different too…" Sarada gulped as he looked…lifeless….in his eyes…not lifeless as in being dead but lifeless as if not having a soul…

"You're not kidding…." Boruto muttered as Mitsuki was silent.

"Uh…hey…Gaara…" Kankuro nervously greeted his brother as everyone was shocked to see Kankuro actually look scared for the first time since these memories had started.

"He's pretty shaken…." Boruto noted.

"Can you blame him? Look at the way Master Gaara is." Mitsuki replied.

"Kankuro, you're an embarrassment to our village. Have you forgotten the reason we came all the way here?" Gaara asked, not interested in any sort of pleasantries.

"I know. I-I mean they challenged us. They started the whole thing really. See here's what happened-"Kankuro tried explaining as Gaara was little more than interested in the spectacle of what actually happened.

"Shut up. Or I'll kill you." Gaara threatened with narrowed eyes as Boruto and Sarada were shaken as they looked to each other.

"This is Master Gaara?" Sarada blinked, not believing this was the same kind man who took Shinki off the streets.

"Sheesh, what changed with everyone?" Boruto blinked as Kankuro gulped.

"…Ah…right. I was totally out of line. I-I'm sorry Gaara." Kankuro raised his hands defensively as Gaara merely waved off his apology.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble he caused." Gaara turned to Sasuke who looked just as nervous as Boruto and Sarada as he and Gaara looked as if they were sizing each other up, scanning each other for any kind of weakness before he appeared in front of his siblings in a wave of sand.

"Let's go. We didn't come here to play games." Gaara ordered his siblings.

"Alright, sure, I get it." Kankuro said as the group started to slowly take their leaves before Sakura ran to the three.

"Wait!" Sakura called out to them.

"What?" Temari asked.

"I can tell from your headband that you come from the Village Hidden in the Sand. Of course the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind are allies but no Shinobi can enter another village without permission so state your purpose. And it better be good." Sakura stated in a voice of confidence despite the fact that she was sure these three could literally mop the village with her forehead if they so desired to do so.

"Have you guys all been living under a rock or what? You don't know what's going on, do you? We have permission." Temari said as all three of the Sand siblings showed Sakura their identifications.

"Of course you're correct, we are Hidden Sand Genin. Our home is the Land of the Wind. And we're here for the Chunin Exams. Get the picture?" Temari asked as Team Konohamaru's eyes widened.

"The Chunin Exams?" Sarada asked.

"So we're gonna see how different the Chunin Exams were when dad was a kid! I wonder how different they were…." Boruto asked in excitement to see the differences.

"We're gonna wait and see." Mitsuki said as Naruto's eyes weren't wide in excitement but narrowed in confusion.

"The Chunin Exams? What's that? Well I've never heard of any Chunin Exams, believe it?" Naruto asked as Temari fixed Naruto a glare of amusement.

"I believe it, alright. That you're totally clueless." Temari said back as Team Konohamaru snickered at Temari's diss.

"That was a nice one!" Boruto grinned.

"Hey boss, those are the exams that every Genin's go to take in order to grauate to being a full-on Chunin." Konohamaru said to his boss in a matter of fact voice.

"Oh? Well why didn't you say so? I am so there!" Naruto beamed as Sasuke touched down.

"Hey, you. Identify yourself!" Sasuke said as Temari turned around with a blush, thinking that Sasuke was referring to her.

"You mean me?" Temari smiled.

"No. The one with the gourd." Sasuke said as Gaara turned to Sasuke.

"My name is Gaara of the desert. I'm curious about you, too. Who are you?" Gaara asked as Sasuke smirked.

"I am Sasuke Uchiha." Sasuke answered as both genin stared at each other before Naruto decided to interject his way in.

"What about me!? I bet you're doing to know my name, huh!?" Naruto grinned as Gaara rolled his eyes.

"I couldn't care less. C'mon let's go." Gaara bluntly stated much to Boruto's amusement before he ordered his siblings to leave before he and his siblings finally left.

"Okay that was hilarious!" Boruto snickered.

While Sasuke smirked at the prospect of a new challenge, Naruto turned to his protégé in a depressive slump, hoping he didn't lose any cool points with Konohamaru.

"Hey Konohamaru, do I see uncool or something?" Naruto asked, not wanting to come off too desperately.

"Well, compared to Sasuke, yeah you're pretty lame!" Konohamaru bluntly stated with a smile as Naruto was about to charge Sasuke.

"You're not gonna show me up, Sasuke!" Naruto spat as Sasuke scoffed, losing his smirk.

"Hmph, back off loser." Sasuke scoffed as Naruto groaned as Sasuke walked off.

"Things are getting interesting." Mitsuki smiled.

"Totally interesting." Boruto smirked, eager for the things they were going to see in this particular memory as the memory slightly shifted from the afternoon they were currently in to a morning taking place not too long after.

"Ugh! Why, why, why!? It's always the same! He sets the time and then we have to wait hours for him! What about my feelings!? I rushed here so fast I didn't even have time to blow-dry my hair!" Sakura yelled, her hair looking disshelved.

"And I didn't even have time to brush my teeth or change my underwear!" Naruto added as Sakura, Boruto and Sarada all gave Naruto disgusted expressions.

"That's just nasty…." Sarada cringed.

"If my mom caught me doing that…" Boruto shuddered.

"…You…didn't? That's really disgusting Naruto." Sakura glared at Naruto in disgust as Sasuke's facial expression spoke that he wished to be anywhere but there.

Thankfully Kakashi came to interrupt any further conversation from erupting.

"Hey, good morning everyone. Sorry I'm late. Afraid I got lost on the path of life." Kakashi smiled.

"Liar!" Naruto and Sakura yelled as Boruto and Sarada rolled their eyes at the BS excuse.

"I know this is a bit sudden but I recommended you for the Chunin Exams, all three of you. These are the application forms." Kakashi explained before handing the three the application forms in question.

"Application forms?" Sakura asked as all three Genin had varying levels of curiosity.

"You're repeating me, Sakura. This is all voluntary. It's up to each of you. If you don't feel ready you can wait until next year." Kakashi said.

"That's nice." Sarada smiled before Naruto suddenly flung himself to his sensei.

"Alright! Kakashi-Sensei, you rock!" Naruto grinned as Kakashi grimaced.

"D-don't slobber on my vest." Kakashi said, putting Naruto carefully down.

"Whoever wants to take the exams, sign the application and come to room 301 at the Academy. It's at 3 PM five days from now. That's it." Kakashi said as it was obvious from Naruto's face that he was definitely in.

"Chunin Exams, Chunin Exams." Naruto giggled in glee as he walked with his team.

"Hmm…Chunin Exams….I'll be up against a lot of really wicked ninja!" Naruto grinned as he walked off as Sasuke seemed just as excited. Though…Sakura looked a bit squeamish.

"What's wrong with Auntie Sakura?" Boruto asked.

"Because…she hasn't really seen proven herself ready for the Chunin Exams." Mitsuki stated honestly.

"Not to mention dad's earlier words to her….I know he might be right but did he have to be so blunt about it?" Sarada asked before the scene shifted to a couple of days later around midafternoon before Team Konohamaru followed Naruto to a small bridge where Naruto found Team Konohamaru picking daisies.

"Hey, Naruto! Come and play ninja with us, please!" Konohamaru grinned as Naruto actually seemed receptive to that.

"Sure! I don't have any dangerous ninja missions today!" Naruto grinned before a ninja suddenly masqueraded himself behind Moegi before taking her to the sky.

"Naruto!" Moegi yelled in panic.

"What're you doing with Moegi, you big slug!?" Konohamaru yelled, wishing he could be as badass of a ninja that Naruto and Sasuke were.

"Let her go! Now!" Naruto warned as the ninja merely laughed at him.

"Get back here! Moegi!" Naruto yelled, jumping after her as Konohamaru and Udon followed after.

"No! You let me go!" Moegi yelled as she was bound by a rope.

"Hmph, I thought that the Hidden Leaf Village had powerful ninja but now I see you're nothing but just a bunch of weaklings." The ninja snickered as Naruto touched down right in front of the ninja.

"Hey you! Yeah you, the fat old guy! What do you think you're doing with Moegi!?" Naruto pointed at the ninja with an accusing finger.

"What am I doing? Is that your question? You really want to know? If you move, the brat's finished." The ninja said, putting a kunai to her throat.

"That bastard!" Boruto growled, wishing he could throw his vanishing Rasengan to the bastard.

"What does she have to do with anything?" Sarada growled, not understanding why anyone would be so sick as to threaten a child.

"I want the First Hokage's Scroll of Sealing. Bring it to me and I'll let the girl go." The ninja threatened Naruto as his eyebrows raised.

"The Scroll of Sealing?" Naruto asked.

"Don't just stand there like a fool! Hurry up and get the scroll." The ninja ordered Naruto who looked undeterred.

"And what happens if I say no?" Naruto asked.

"Then I guess you don't care what happens to this girl." The ninja said.

"What girl? All I see is two dummies. You and the one next to you made of straw." Naruto said as the ninja turned to "Moegi" in shock as she was replaced with a dummy made of straw.

"What!? Where did she go!?" The ninja turned to Naruto in shock as "Naruto" was merely a substitution as the real Naruto was in the tree with Moegi looking at Naruto with eyes full of hero worship.

"Nice one, dad!" Boruto grinned.

"I know. That dummy comment was definitely well played." Mitsuki smiled.

"I think he was referring to the substitution jutsu." Sarada sighed, not understanding Mitsuki as the ninja clenched his fist.

"I'll waste you punk!" The ninja growled, wishing bloody murder on Naruto as a clone threw a net at the ninja.

"You just don't know when you're outclassed!" A clone said as three more clones tackled the man.

"You did it boss!" Konohamaru said, running up with Udon.

"Yeah well, it's about time, you guys!" Naruto said, touching down as Moegi ran to her friends.

"Konohamaru! I was really scared!" Moegi hugged Konohamaru who rubbed her head.

"It's alright." Konohamaru consoled her.

"Can we see him, boss?" Udon asked.

"Sure! He's right here! I'll show you what he-"Naruto said before the "ninja" was revealed to be nothing more than rocks.

"Wait, he left?" Boruto asked.

"Huh…that was weird…" Sarada blinked as Naruto and Kononohamaru's Squad all looked around in dismay before the scene shifted to a couple of days later before it was time for Naruto and team to take the Chunin Exams as they waited for Sakura.

"Sakura! Hey, you're late!" Naruto greeted the pinkette.

"Uh, right. Sorry, guys." Sakura gave a forced smile to Sakura before turning to Sasuke, her smile dropping, no doubt remembering something traumatic.

"Uh…good morning, Sasuke." Sakura awkwardly greeted her teammate.

"Yeah…" Sasuke said as he noticed something different with Sakura.

"What's with her?" Boruto asked.

"Obviously dad's comment hurt her…" Sarada frowned, feeling empathy for her mother as the team made their way to the first floor where they noticed a group was surrounded around a particular door.

"What is going on here?" Sarada asked before noticing two particular people on the floor wounded.

"Hey! That's Uncle Lee and Auntie Tenten!" Boruto exclaimed.

"What happened to them?" Mitsuki asked, noticing the bruises on their faces.

"Must be these guys." Sarada's eyes narrowed at the two ninja practically guarding the door behind them as they gave a speech that Naruto and Co. barely heard.

"Real nice speech. Now both of you step aside and let me through. And while you're at it, reverse the Genjutsu. We can see through your illusion anyway. We're going to the third floor." Sasuke said, getting confusion from everything behind him.

"We're under a genjutsu?" Boruto turned to Sarada who activated her Sharingan.

"We are on second floor." Sarada confirmed as the two ninja lost their amused smirks.

"So you noticed the Genjutsu, huh?" The ninja with a bandanna asked as Sasuke turned to Sakura who still looked down.

"Go ahead, tell them, Sakura. I'm sure you saw it before anyone else did. You have the sharpest eyes and the best analytical skills on our squad. You must have seen this coming a mile away." Sasuke said, turning to Sakura with a surprisingly gentle smile.

"I….must…have?" Sakura asked before smiling for the first time since Kakashi told the team about the Chunin Exams, "Of course! This is only the second floor!" Sakura proclaimed as the genjutsu revealed the room number as being "201" rather than "301".

Sarada smiled, feeling happy that it seemed like this was the beginning of her parents' love story while Boruto and Mitsuki couldn't have given any more of a crap.

"Well aren't we the smart ones, huh? So you noticed an illusion? Now let's see you deal with this!" The ninja in particular said as he attempted to charge and bumrush Sasuke only for the two to be intercepted by Rock Lee whose wounds were miraculously gone.

"Man…he's faster than Metal Lee!" Boruto exclaimed.

"I wonder how strong Master Lee was as a kid…" Mitsuki said before his teammates made their way to him as Sasuke stared at Lee with a mix of awe and curiosity.

"Hey. What happened to the plan? I thought you were the one who said to keep a low profile." Lee's teammate, a genin with brown hair and silver eyes asked his teammate in confusion.

"Hey! It's Uncle Neji!" Boruto grinned.

"That's him? Huh…he sure looks a lot like Miss Hinata." Sarada blinked.

"I wonder how he died…" Mitsuki bluntly asked as Lee noticed Sakura before making his way over to where he was.

"My name is Rock Lee. You are Sakura, right?" Lee asked as a blush formed on his cheeks.

"Oh no." Sarada grimaced, realizing the look in his eye.

"Please be my girlfriend! I vow to protect you with my life!" Lee vowed with a voice full of confidence.

Too bad Sakura didn't seem too impressed….

"…No…way…" Sakura flatly rejected Lee's offer much to Team Konohamaru's amusement.

"B-but why?" Lee asked.

"Because you're a big weirdo." Sakura bluntly stated as Lee slumped to the wall behind him in comical sadness.

"Damn! Roasted!" Boruto nearly fell back on his butt from laughing as Sarada sighed. Who knows how she would've looked with Lee's eyebrows.

"Hye you, over here. What's your name?" Neji stated more than asked to Sasuke much to Naruto's chagrin as it seemed no one was interested in Naruto.

"It's common courtesy to give your own name before asking someone else's." Sasuke stated in a matter of fact voice.

"You're a rookie, aren't you? How old are you?" Neji asked the Uchiha.

"I'm not obliged to answer." Sasuke stated with a blank face.

"What's that?" Neji asked, clearly offended as Tenten giggled.

"Sheesh. It seems even Uncle Neji is a prick. What happened with everyone?" Boruto asked.

"Guess we'll have to wait and see, the further we go down these memories." Sarada shrugged as Sakura gathered Naruto who was in a depressive slump as they all made their way to the room where the Chunin Exams would take place.

And that's the start to the Chunin Exams!

I'm SO SORRY this chapter was shorter than norm but with me going back to work as well as me being sick a little, the chapter length kinda suffered as a result.

That and I didn't want to delay Chapter 12, hehe!

Now the Chunin Exams will continue with Chapter 13 coming August 12th! I know you all might be freaking out saying, "WTF! THAT'S TWO MONTHS!"

Well the reason is because I wanna get more stories out before the summer ends and I gotta go back to school as well as having a HUGE story coming out next month so…yeah, hehe ^_^

See you all August 12th! ^_^


	13. First Exam Begins!

Hello, everyone~! Hope this lovely month of August is treating you all well! I'm SO excited for the story going forward since the Chunin Exams is my SECOND favorite Arc in the entirety of Naruto!

Although with how I plan on handling this arc, I do have an important question for you all so please read until the end!

With all that said, let the chapter begin FFS! ^_^

* * *

"Man…..these Chunin Exams really are different that the ones we took a while back." Boruto mused as he and his team followed Team 7 down the corridor leading to the third floor.

"Yeah, the buildings are definitely more dated. I'm excited to see what Mama and Papa went through!" Sarada grinned excitedly, eager to see more of her mom and dad in action, even though her mom hadn't been terribly active in these memories just yet.

As Team Seven continued walking through the hallways and entered a small entry way, a familiar voice got everyone's attention.

"Hey you, with the attitude! Hold on!" The voice of Rock Lee announced from the top of the room as both Teams Seven and Konohamaru turned to look up at Rock Lee standing at the stairs above the top of the room.

"It's Uncle Lee! What does he want?" Boruto asked.

"If I have my hunches about what we saw earlier, he may wanna test Papa out. He was called the Rookie of his year of graduates if I remember right…" Sarada theorized.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked as Naruto tilted his head in confusion while Sakura grimaced and tensed at the sight of Rock Lee, no doubt remembering his rather lame offer to her from arlier.

"I want to fight you, right here and right now!" Lee announced, proving Sarada right.

"What'd I tell you?" Sarada asked.

"Huh….so Uncle Lee versus Uncle Sasuke? This should be interesting." Boruto said as Sasuke merely cocked an eyebrow.

"You want to fight me, here and now, huh?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes." Lee answered before jumping down to meet them at ground level, "My name is Rock Lee. You said it was common courtesy for a challenger to give his own name first, right? Sasuke Uchiha?" Lee asked, making Sasuke's already raised eyebrow cock even more upwards.

"Hmph, so you know me?" Sasuke questioned as Lee donned a fighting pose.

"I challenge you. Everyone is always talking about the Uchiha Clan and how great they are. I want to see if it is true. I figure you would be a good test for me." Lee stated to Sasuke.

"Makes sense in that regard. This will definitely be an interesting fight." Mitsuki said as Lee turned his eyes to Sakura, unnerving the pink head as his cheeks flushed.

"Oh, Sakura! I love you!" Lee bluntly stated without even the slightest bit of dignity as Sarada rubbed her forehead.

"Way to be blunt and head on!" Sarada shook her head, though a part of her did sort of respect Lee in being upfront and open with his feelings.

Boruto and Mitsuki however found the exchange nothing short of hilarious as Boruto had to cover his mouth with his hands.

However, Sakura was nothing short of repulsed as she screamed and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Those eyebrows can't be real! Your hairstyle is horrible too and those eyebrows are so bushy! You're such a weirdo!" Sakura spat with nothing but disdain in her voice.

However, this only seemed to invigorate Lee's feelings all the more.

"You are an angel sent from heaven!" Lee beamed before winking a heart at Sakura which she narrowly dodged.

"Whoa! He sent a heart at Auntie!" Boruto remarked, slightly impressed.

"A peculiar new jutsu?" Mitsuki raised an eyebrow, just as curious as his teammate.

"Are you two idiots serious!?" Sarada yelled at her idiot teammates.

"That was a good move but let us see you dodge these!" Lee continued to wink even more hearts as Sakura was dodging and avoiding those hearts for dear life before eventually falling backwards on her head.

This was too much for Boruto and Mitsuki as they nearly doubled over in their laughter. Or rather Boruto did as Mitsuki was chuckling with more dignity than his blonde friend.

Even though Sarada was unnerved at Lee's pursuit of her future mother, she couldn't deny this was a bit humorous to watch.

"Hey! Keep your creepy little valentines to yourself! I was dodging for my life there!" Sakura spat as this started another laughing fit between Boruto and Mitsuki.

"Man! In another universe, Lee could've been Sarada's dad!" Boruto wiped tears from his eyes as Sarada's eyes widened in horror before smacking Boruto silly.

"Don't even give me that mental image!" Sarada growled as she cringed imagining her with Lee's facial features, mainly his eyebrows.

Sarada would truly be a sight to behold if that was the case.

"You do not have to be so negative Sakura…." Lee moaned sadly as Sasuke decided to get straight to business.

"You've heard of the Uchiha Clan yet you're challenging me? You must be even more psycho than you look, if that's possible. You want to know more about my clan? Then I'll teach you the hard way." Sasuke's eyes narrowed as rather than looking intimidated with Sasuke's threat, Lee actually looked excited.

"Bring it on." Lee smirked as he was about to get ready for the fight of the century.

But before any fight could begin….

"Hold it!" Naruto yelled, getting the attention of everyone as he had an irritated vein in his head, no doubt irritated with the attention Sasuke received.

"I get him first. This weirdo is mine." Naruto spat with steel in his voice.

"Go for it." Sasuke said, not even looking at Naruto.

"I can only wonder how this fight is gonna go…." Boruto said.

"Yes, especially since Lord Seventh isn't nearly as impressive as he is now." Mitsuki noted.

"No thank you. Right now, the only one I want to fight is Uchiha." Lee straightforwardly answered.

"Yeah? Well I've got news for you! Sasuke can't compare to me, believe it!" Naruto yelled as he reeled his arm back for a punch as Lee stood his ground.

Although much to the amazement of everyone he merely tapped Naruto's palm before sweeping his feet under.

"Leaf Whirlwind!" Lee said as Naruto crashed into the wall behind him, knocking out the orange clad ninja.

"Man, he's fast!" Boruto blinked, surprised at how fast Naruto was taken out.

"Yeah! Like yeah he's not on the level he was now but he was basically fodderized…" Sarada cringed at how hard Naruto hit the wall behind him.

Sasuke and Sakura stared at Lee with amazement clear in their features as they were no doubt amazed with the strength Lee had displayed with little to no effort on his end.

"Just accept it. You have no chance against me. Your skills are inferior because you see Sasuke, out of all the top Leaf Genin, I am the best. Fight me and I will prove it to you." Lee said as a small smirk adorned Sasuke's features.

"Hmph, this'll be fun. Let's do it." Sasuke smirked as Sakura looked to the clock above before turning back to Sasuke in concern.

"There's no time, Sasuke. We've got to register by 3:00. That's less than half an hour." Sakura reminded Sasuke who closed his eyes with a scoff.

"Relax, this'll all be over in five seconds." Sasuke simply said before charging Lee.

"Why do I feel this won't be as easy as he says?" Sarada muttered.

"Hey, don't be such a downer!" Boruto said as Sasuke attempted to combat Lee but he was easily evaded and was pushed back by Lee's "Leaf Hurricane" but Sasuke decided to pick himself back up with a trump card under his belt.

"Hmph, I've been waiting to try this out." Sasuke smirked as Sakura beamed like a young child on Christmas morning as he revealed his Sharingan.

"This should definitely get interesting." Mitsuki smiled.

However, much to everyone's surprise, Lee was able to keep pace with Sasuke and even gave him an uppercut to his jaw.

"You see, my technique is not ninjutsu or genjutsu." Lee said as he charged as Sasuke, giving him several kicks that he was barely able to dodge before nailing Sasuke with punches he couldn't dodge as Naruto started to slowly awaken.

"S-Sasuke!" Naruto blinked in surprise that the eccentric Lee was actually keeping pace with Sasuke.

"Do you see now? I am using Taijutsu which means no tricks, Sasuke. It is straight martial arts, nothing more." Lee said as he suddenly appeared right behind Sasuke, much to his chagrin.

"Why you!" Sasuke spat, trying to smack Lee away before he body-flickered away again as he appeared right in front of him.

"I know your technique, forget it. It will not work, not on me. I know you can see through your opponent's jutsu. The Sharingan gives you the ability to read ones chakra and decipher his hand signs and movements. You can guess what he's gonna do almost before he knows himself." Lee explained the fundamentals of Sharingan much to Sasuke's amazement.

"Well he's practically an encyclopedia of Sharingan…" Boruto shook his head.

"Well his sensei is Guy-Sensei who's best friends with Sharingan Kakashi so it makes sense on why he'd be well-versed in the mechanics of Sharingan to some extent." Sarada shrugged.

"The problem is that Taijutsu is just a little bit different." Lee said.

"Right. So what's your point?" Sasuke asked, feeling a bit embarrassed on how the fight isn't going in his favor.

"I do not try to hide or disguise my movements. I do not have to. Even if you can read them, you cannot stop them. You are too slow. Your eyes may be quick enough to stay one step ahead of me, but if your body cannot keep up, what good does it do to you? You know what? Here is what I believe. There are two different kinds of ninja, those like you who are born with talent and do not have to work at it and those like me, the ones who have to train every day of our lives!" Lee said.

"Well he's not wrong….." Sarada looked down.

"Yeah….we're strong….because of who our parents are…" Boruto felt a bit….entitled at that notion. Just how strong would he be if his mom wasn't the Byakugan Princess and if his dad wasn't the Seventh Hokage?

This seemed to stir something within Sasuke as he immediately charged Lee in an attempt to best and finally defeat Lee with several right hooks and kicks but this was to no avail.

"Fact it, your Sharingan is the worst match for my extreme Taijutsu. Here is what I mean." Lee said before kicking Sasuke up into the air before anyone could see anything.

"Hey what happened?" Boruto asked, trying to look around for any sign of his sensei.

"Up there!" Mitsuki pointed as Lee appeared right behind Sasuke.

"Dancing Leaf Shadow…" Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"Good eye. Now I will prove my point that hard work beats out natural talent." Lee said as Sasuke's eyes widened, no doubt wondering what Lee's next move was.

"You're finished!" Lee said as the bandages around his wrists started to unravel. But before Lee could follow through with his threat a star suddenly flew across the room, sticking one of his bandages to the wall, getting the attention of everyone in the room.

"This is bad…." Lee dreaded.

"Alright, that's enough! Lee?" A ninja turtle said as Lee immediately darted over to the summons as Sakura caught Sasuke.

"Well that was definitely….interesting?" Sarada blinked.

"Yeah….Uncle Lee handed Uncle Sasuke his ass!" Boruto bluntly stated not believing his eyes.

"We all have to lose a fight at some point…" Mitsuki said.

"Man….I wonder if there was some way they had a rematch…." Sarada said, genuinely wondering how a fight between the two would go after so many years.

"Probably in a gag manga where they were chibis." Boruto said, ignoring the bizarre looks he received from his teammates.

"….Y….you were watching us….the whole time?" Lee asked, looking down as Team Konohamaru could actually see fear in his eyes.

"Of course. That last technique is forbidden, you know that. You're a disgrace! You think you'll get away with a bunch of lame excuses? A Shinobi never reveals unless it's absolutely necessary! It's such a basic rule, you should know it by now!" The turtle chided the young green clad ninja as Team Seven stared at the whole exchange disturbed.

"Forgive me sir…" Lee sighed as Sasuke growled, clearly irate at losing to someone like Lee.

"Are you prepared to take the punishment for your actions?" The turtle scowled.

"I….yes sir…" Lee sighed.

"Alright then, please come out, Guy-Sensei!" The turtle said as in a tuft of smoke, a younger looking Might Guy came out of the wood work.

"Well that's certainly one hell of an entrance! Like a friggin genie!" Boruto blinked.

"Why are he and Lee so extra?" Sarada muttered as Team Seven was no doubt freaked at how Might Guy essentially came from under a turtle's ass.

"Hey! What's shakin'!? How you doin', everybody!? Life treatin ya good!?" Might Guy grinned as he was decked out in a very eccentric pose.

"Huh!?" All of Team Seven collectively yelled.

"He's got the biggest eyebrows yet! They're almost alike!" Naruto shouted, referring to Might Guy and Rock Lee's similar appearances.

"Are we sure they're not father and son?" Sarada whispered to her teammates.

"I'm….not sure…." Boruto shook his head.

"Hi, Lee." Guy winked as Team Seven bristled at the sight of Guy.

"Too weird…" Sakura grimaced.

"So that's where Lee gets it from. Same soup bowl haircut and even bushier eyebrows!" Naruto bluntly stated much to Lee's chagrin.

"Hey! Do not insult Guy-Sensei! He is one of the greatest men in the entire world!" Lee spat out, not at all pleased with the disrespect Naruto was dishing out to his sensei.

"Well excuse me for not noticing his greatness! I was too busy watching him crawling out from under the turtle!" Naruto spat back as Team Konohamaru no doubt found their exchange nothing short of amusing.

"Okay this is weird but funny at the same time." Sarada giggled.

"Right!? And I thought Metal was a fruit loop!" Boruto snickered.

"He did not crawl-" Lee was about to argue as Guy decided to put an end between the team's childish bickering.

"Give it a rest, Lee." Guy waved off Team Seven's rudeness.

"Huh? Y-yes sir." Lee looked down as he braced himself for whatever Guy had in store for him for acting irrationally.

"Now for your punishment…" Guy cracked his hand before reeling it back, "You fool!" Guy clocked Lee dead in his face much to the comical shock of both Team Seven and Team Konohamaru.

"What the hell!? That was a bit too much don't you think!?" Boruto flailed his arms.

"Geez that's going way overboard!" Sarada yelled out just in dismay.

As Lee landed on his hand, Guy walked over to his favorite protégé with sadness in his eyes as he kneeled to Lee on the ground.

"I'm sorry Lee…but it's for your own good…" Guy apologized to Lee with regret clearly evident in his voice.

"…S….Sensei…." Lee got choked up as both master and student were in tears.

"Oh Lee…." Guy smiled through his tears.

"O-Oh Sensei….I-I am so sorry!" Lee's face scrunched up in tears as Guy decided to wave off Lee's previous idiotic transactions.

"Alright, it's over….you don't need to say anymore! Lee!" Guy held out his arms as Lee jumped straight into Guy's arms.

"Sensei!" Lee sobbed as the image of a sunset appeared behind them with a rising ocean wave splashing behind the two green clad ninja.

"What the hell just happened!?" Boruto and Sarada exclaimed simultaneously with wide blank eyes and disturbed expressions.

"….Is the sunset some sort of aerial projection jutsu?" Mitsuki genuinely asked as Team Seven looked just as disturbed as Boruto and Sarada.

"Hey! The turtle's crying too!" Boruto pointed as the turtle was just as emotional as Guy and Lee.

"What is wrong with that team!?" Sarada yelled.

"Hey, it's kinda sweet the way they're all huggy and stuff!" Naruto grinned as Sakura stared at Naruto like he was just as crazy as Guy and Lee.

"Huh!? You've got to be kidding! They're both totally crazy!" Sakura looked close to clocking the orange moron in his skull before the ocean wave sunset disappeared as Lee and Guy regained somewhat of their dignity.

"You're just caught in between. You're too old to be called a boy and not yet quite a man." Guy wiped his eyes as he smiled as his protégé as he clapped a hand on Lee's shoulder.

"You are so good to me, Guy-Sensei." Lee sniffled as Guy pointed to the courtyard of the Academy.

"Now take off. I want you to give me a hundred laps around the practice field. Show me what you got!" Guy commanded his student.

"Yes sir!" Lee eagerly agreed.

"Run into the setting sun. Run and suffer! But don't mess up your hair. Now let's go!" Guy grinned enthusiastically.

"Right!" Lee grinned as Boruto and Sarada deadpanned.

"….Are we sure they're not related?" Sarada sighed.

"Well the Ninja World is vast." Mitsuki smiled.

Team Seven had those same levels of being disturbed before they remembered what was important, the Chunin Exams.

"Hey, wait a minute! We're not finished here. You guys just can't take off like that!" Naruto reminded the two.

"And what about the Chunin Exams? There's no time for fooling around." Sakura added on.

"Oh, uh right. I forgot about that." Guy sheepishly laughed before turning to Lee.

"Lee, you not only disobeyed the rule against fighting but you've disrupted the Chunin Exams. I think that warrants a slightly more severe punishment, don't you?" Guy asked.

"Yes sir." Lee agreed.

"Let's say five hundred laps! How does that sound?" Guy raised his arm over his head as Lee eagerly shook his head.

"Outstanding sir!" Lee beamed though Team Seven were very unimpressed with their level of energy.

"….They're insane." Sakura deadpanned.

"Probably. But never mind them, what's the deal with that turtle?" Naruto asked his teammates before Guy turned his attention to Kakashi's team.

"Tell me, how is Kakashi-Sensei?" Guy asked as Team Seven looked at Guy in surprise.

"Do you know him?" Sasuke asked.

"Do I know Kakashi? Well….people say he and I are archrivals for all eternity." Guy clapped a hand under his chin as Team Seven definitely looked unconvinced at that.

"There's just no way!" Naruto and Sakura spat.

"How dare you!? If Guy-Sensei says it is true then-"An offended Lee was about to tell off both Naruto and Sakura before Guy cut him off.

"Let it die Lee. A ninja's actions speak louder than their words." Guy said before he suddenly body-flickered behind Team Seven.

"My record is 50 wins and 49 losses which is one better than his, by the way." Guy bragged much to the astonishment of Team Seven.

"Damn! I didn't know it was that close!" Boruto blinked.

"Then again with how powerful the Gates are it makes somewhat sense…" Sarada put her hand under her chin in thought.

"If they fought with the evolution of Master Kakashi's Sharingan and with Guy-Sensei in his prime before he lost his leg….I wonder who would win…" Mitsuki donned a pensive expression.

"Oh that's right, Old Man Guy's leg!" Boruto looked down to see Guy standing on both feet rather than being wheelchair clad like he had known him for the majority of his life.

"I wonder how he lost his leg…." Sarada pondered.

"It was said that he lost it during the Fourth Great Ninja War so these memories may shed light onto how that happened." Mitsuki said as Team Seven looked at Guy with a new wind.

"What!? You're kidding! How'd he beat Kakashi!" Naruto looked at Guy bug-eyed as Guy merely smiled at Naruto's bluntness rather than being offended by Naruto's rudeness.

"The fact is I'm stronger than Kakashi and faster." Guy winked.

"You see? Guy-Sensei is the best there is." Lee added though Team Seven were too shocked at Guy to pay Lee any attention.

"I'm sorry for the trouble Lee caused you. Look into my eyes and accept my sincere apology." Guy grinned with a thumbs up.

"If that's his way of saying sorry, it really sucks." Sarada deadpanned.

"I'd accept it." Mitsuki shrugged as Sarada just rolled her eyes at the son of Orochimaru.

However it was then that Naruto and Team Konohamaru noticed the state of Lee's hands.

"Hey his hands? Burn marks?" Boruto asked.

"How did that happen?" Sarada asked before Lee covered them up.

"Guess we'll find out later in these memories." Mitsuki shrugged.

"Remember, give it your best. Lee, farewell!" Guy said before body-flickering away much to everyone except for Lee's surprise.

"Hey, Sasuke. Actually, I have not been totally honest with you. I said I wanted to test my skills and that is true enough but you are not really the one I wanted to test them against. I lied to you when we were fighting before. I told you I am the best genin here but there is another top ninja, someone on my own team." Lee said as Sasuke cocked an eyebrow in intrigue.

"Uncle Neji…." Boruto clenched his fist.

"I wonder just how strong he was back when he was alive…." Sarada said as Lee continued.

"I came here to defeat him. You were just practice but now you are a target. I will crush you so consider yourself warned." Lee said as Sasuke growled as he clenched his fist before Lee jumped to the top and made his way to reunite with his team.

"Well guess Uncle Sasuke knows to watch his back." Boruto said.

"Totally." Sarada agreed.

"Sasuke…" Sakura frowned in concern as Sasuke turned to the side, clearly frustrated.

"Huh….how about that? Looks like the Uchihas aren't as great as everybody thinks they are." Naruto scoffed.

"Naruto!" Sakura growled.

"Oh patronize him, why don't you?" Sarada glared at Naruto, still not believing such a kind, thoughtful man was such a little brat.

"Just shut up! Next time I'll drive him to his knees!" Sasuke growled.

"Yeah, right. Who just got his butt kicked?" Naruto rolled his eyes before looking to the side

"What're you saying? Just cut it out, Naruto!" Sakura chided Naruto as Sasuke glared at Naruto though Naruto paid the two of them no mind.

"You saw his hands, didn't you? When he took off the tape? I bet old Bushy Brows has been training until he drops, day in and day out. He trains harder than you. That's all I'm saying." Naruto said.

"That's pretty blunt though." Sarada couldn't believe just how unsympathetic Naruto was being though Boruto noticed the look in Naruto's eyes. It was one of….jealousy?

"He was probably being that way because he was jealous….like dad always harps on the importance of hard work yet look how he compares to Uncle Sasuke. He gets owned by him while Uncle Lee handed him his and Uncle Sasuke's ass. It must kill him to no how little he is the grand scheme of things." Boruto said.

"Indeed. He's like a small fish in a big pond right now." Mitsuki added.

"Yeah…you're both right." Sarada said as Sasuke looked down before clenched his fists.

"Fine. This thing's starting to get interesting. The Chunin Exams, huh? I can't wait to see what's next!" Sasuke smirked as Naruto and Sakura smiled their agreement.

"Right!" Naruto grinned as the three friends stood side by side.

"Let's get started. Naruto! Sakura!" Sasuke announced.

"Right!" Naruto cheered as the three teammates made their way to the third floor after so long. However right outside the room where the Chunin Exams would take place stood a very familiar face.

"Old Man Kakashi?" Boruto asked.

"I guess he's here to see them off?" Sarada wondered as Team Seven looked just as confused at the sight of him.

"Kakashi-Sensei?" Naruto asked.

"What're you doing here?" Sakura blinked as Sasuke was just as curious despite being silent.

"Glad you came, Sakura. For your sake and the others." Kakashi said as Team Seven looked equally confused.

"Now you can all formally register for the Chunin Exams." Kakashi explained as Sakura cocked her head to the side.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"You see, only groups of three are allowed to apply for and take the exam. That's the way it's always been." Kakashi added onto his explanation.

"Oh right, I remember. With us, we couldn't enter the Chunin Exams of our time unless all three of us agreed to do so." Mitsuki chuckled as Sarada shot Boruto a dirty look.

"Look it all worked out, okay?" Boruto grinned sheepishly.

"But sensei, you said the decision to take the exam was up to the individual." Sakura was quick to remind her sensei as Kakashi merely stared at her.

"That's right, I did." Kakashi simply said.

"Was that a lie?" Sakura asked.

"Sort of. It's an individual decision but it affects all of you. I didn't tell you before because I didn't want the other guys pressuring you." Kakashi explained as Sakura sent a look to her teammates.

"Well she is right…..Uncle Sasuke and Dad wouldn't be happy if she made a decision that would detriment their opportunity to become Chunin." Boruto noted.

"Yeah….mom is susceptible to peer pressure…" Sarada assumed.

"At the same time, I didn't want you feeling obligated to participate because of any feelings you might have for Sasuke or Naruto. I wanted you to come to a decision of your own free will." Kakashi added on as an addendum to his previous statement.

"Well that's pretty considerate of Master Kakashi. Then again he's always been considerate." Sarada smiled.

"Do you mean if the others had shown but I decided not to come with them-"Sakura was about to ask before Kakashi cut him off.

"It would've been the end of the line. If you hadn't come along, I wouldn't have let the others in. But it's a moot point. You're all here and for the right reasons. Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke; I'm proud of you. I couldn't have asked for a better team. Good luck." Kakashi smiled under his mask as both Teams Seven and Konohamaru smiled at the veteran ninja.

"Heh! Well that's one way to motivate your team." Mitsuki smiled remembering the verbal encouragement and support Konohamaru gave his team before they entered the Chunin Exams.

"I'm excited to see dad and the others kick ass!" Boruto grinned as he pumped his fist while Sarada happily hummed her agreement.

"We won't let you down, sensei! Believe it!" Naruto beamed as the team entered the room on the third floor where the exams would be held as Kakashi stepped aside, Team Konohamaru noticing a distant look in his eyes.

However, upon entering the room, the team were greeted to a sea of unfriendly gazes as they all sized up Team Seven.

"W-what's this?" Naruto gulped as Sasuke merely glared at the foreign ninja as Sakura looked just as freaked as Naruto if not more than Naruto.

"Gee….I guess we're not alone…" Sakura meekly noted as she was no doubt regretting her decision of taking the exams.

"Geez, talk about a friendly welcome." Sarada cringed as she noticed how unfriendly everyone looked.

"And I thought the people we fought were freaky enough…" Boruto muttered remembering ninja like Shinki and Yoroi.

"Guess this just to show just how much the times have changed." Mitsuki said.

However the tense moment was broken by the shriek of a familiar voice.

"Sasuke! Where have you been!?" Ino grinned before wrapping her arms around Sasuke's neck, much to his chagrin.

"Bouy, you have no idea how much I was hoping you'd show up here. I've missed those brooding good looks of yours~!" Ino winked as Sasuke wished he had an ocular ability where she would be evaporated in a sea of flames.

"Auntie Ino….really is embarrassing…." Boruto face-palmed feeling second-hand embarrassment.

"No kidding…" Sarada groaned, not realizing all those stories Sakura told to her about how eccentric Ino was around Sasuke, as only Mitsuki laughed.

Sakura however wasn't amused as a tickmark built in her head as her blood boiled long and hard.

"Hey you porker, back off! He's mine!" Sakura spat as Ino merely scoffed at her.

"Oh Miss Forehead, they let you in? Still got those big frown lines on your billboard brow, I see." Ino smirked.

"Damn, that burn left third degree burns." Boruto winced.

"I could learn a couple of those burns." Mitsuki looked interested, disregarding the bizarre looks he received from his teammates.

"Leave my forehead out of this!" Sakura growled as Ino merely responded with a raspberry and pulling down her eyelid while Naruto just looked lost at all of this.

"Oh it's you guys. I knew this was gonna be a drag but I didn't know it was gonna be this lame." Shikamaru yawned as he walked to the rookies with Choji in tow.

"Huh looks like the gang's all here." Boruto smirked.

"I wonder how strong they were when they were all age…." Sarada pondered as Naruto gave Shikamaru and Choji blank looks.

"So all three stooges are here." Naruto bluntly stated as that was enough to set off Shikamaru.

"Hey, you know what pipsqueak!? Ah, forget it, you're a waste of time." Shikamaru scoffed

"But you know something? Dad and Uncle Shikamaru and Uncle Choji were friends when they were kids but they don't look as close anymore….I wonder what happened…." Boruto frowned.

"From what those other memories have shown us, they were more of distant friends when they were kids. So logically…they may have drifted away…" Sarada looked down as Boruto's frown deepened.

"Oh….I see…" Boruto looked down.

"Sorry but Sasuke's all mine." Ino bragged as Sasuke looked close to putting her under a Genjutsu but barely kept his composure.

"Ugh…mom really was right about her…" Sarada sighed.

"Well, what do you know? It looks like the whole gang's back together again." Kiba smirked with Hinata and Shino behind him.

"Heh, mom." Boruto grinned, remembering how kind his mother was in the past but was always curious as to what changed her into the monster she became as an adult.

"And Master Kiba and Shino. Though….Master Shino looks more refined…." Mitsuki noted.

"And cooler." Sarada snickered.

"H-hi Naruto…." Hinata meekly greeted Naruto as Naruto merely cocked his head at her before she looked away with an embarrassed blush.

"Ugh…this is arguably the most awkward moment I've seen…" Boruto face-palmed as Sarada snickered taking delight in Boruto's embarrassment.

Man, everyone's here for this stupid thing." Shikamaru sighed.

"Yep. Here we all are. The nine rookies. This is going to be so fun. At least, for those of us good enough to make the cut. Right, Sasuke?" Kiba smirked as Sasuke returned the smirk, ignoring Ino.

"Kiba, careful you don't get overconfident." Sasuke smirked, ready for the challenge.

"Huh….reminds me of Shikadai, Metal and the others." Boruto's mind flashed to the friends in his graduating class.

"Just wait. We're gonna blow you guys away." Kiba bragged as it was Naruto's turn to step in.

"And what do you think we've been doing? Sitting around, picking daisies? You don't know what training means!" Naruto glared at Kiba as Hinata tried to cut in as a mediator.

"Uh…don't mind Kiba. I'm sure he didn't really mean anything like it." Hinata meekly said as a pair of footsteps drew the attention of everyone.

"Hey, you guys! You might want to try keeping it down a little. I mean no offense but you're the nine rookies, right? Fresh out of the Academy? I wouldn't go around making a spectacle of yourselves. Just cool it. It's not a class field trip." A young man with spectacles and grey hair approached the group of rookies.

"Hey, it's Kabuto Yakushi!" Sarada noted in realization, remembering him from the Leaf Orphanage.

"That's no doubt him." Mitsuki nodded.

"Who?" Boruto asked, no doubt lost.

"He's was essentially the right hand man of my dad. Although he left him some years ago to run the Leaf Village Orphanage." Mitsuki explained as Boruto remembered how Sasuke left the village to go to Orochimaru and if Kabuto was Orochimaru's right hand man…

"I wonder….what made him have a change of heart…." Boruto's eyes narrowed as Ino gave him an offended glare.

"Well who asked you!? Who are you!?" Ino glared at Kabuto who merely smiled at Ino despite the hostility aimed at him.

"I'm Kabuto Yakushi. But really, look around you. You've made quite an impression." Kabuto said as the rookies all grimaced at the hostile looks they received.

"Geesh, talk about bad first impressions…" Boruto muttered.

"You only get one first impression with someone. Just like how my impression of you were that you were an annoying jerkass." Sarada smirked as the blonde had to be restrained by Mitsuki from giving the Uchiha a piece of his mind.

"See those guys? They're from the Rain Village. Touchy. They all are. This exam makes everyone tense and you don't want to rub them the wrong way right now. But oh well, you can't help it. How could you know how things work? You're just rookies. You remind me of myself a while back." Kabuto smirked at the rookies as Sakura shot the underling of Orochimaru a skeptical look.

"Kabuto? Is that your name?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah." Kabuto confirmed.

"This isn't the first time you've taken the exam?" Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"No, it's my seventh." Kabuto explained as the rookies stared at Kabuto like he became a dragon snake.

"Then again the exams are held multiple times a year, right?" Boruto asked.

"Although that could indeed just be a cover story. He is a spy after all." Mitsuki crossed his arms.

"Well, they're held twice a year so this will be my fourth year." Kabuto smiled as the rookies stared at Kabuto even more dumbfounded.

"Wow! A veteran! You must really be an expert by now!" Sakura exclaimed, sounding interested.

"Yeah, sort of." Kabuto waved off the impressed tone.

"Cool, you can give us all the inside tips!" Naruto voiced the thoughts of the Rookie Nine, or most of them, anyways.

"Yeah some expert, he never passed." Shikamaru scoffed as Kabuto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well…seventh time's the charm." Kabuto chuckled as Shikamaru and the other rookies looked unconvinced.

"Pretty sure it's 'third time's the charm'." Boruto rolled his eyes.

"So I guess all those rumors about the exam being tough are true. Oh man, I knew this was going to be a drag." Shikamaru sighed as he turned his head in irritation as Kabuto was quick to try to reassure the young ninja.

"Don't give up yet. Maybe I can help you kids out a little, with my ninja info cards." Kabuto pulled out a row of orange colored cards.

"So that must be how he gets info on everyone!" Sarada exclaimed.

"Of course." Mitsuki nodded as Sakura and the other Genin looked on the cards with varying levels of interest.

"It's hard to explain but these cards have been chakra encoded with everything I've learned over the past four years. I've got more than two hundred of them so you see, I haven't been completely wasting my time. They may not look like much to the naked eye, in fact they appear blank. Don't want just anyone seeing this stuff." Kabuto explained as he took a knee before pulling out one card out of the deck and twirled it with his left index finger.

"Huh…that's actually ingenious when I think about it." Boruto said.

"Yeah….that's how he was able to get info on everyone….including my dad…" Sarada looked down as she received just bits and pieces on Orochimaru and Sasuke's tumultuous past during the whole Shin incident.

"What're you doing?" Sakura asked, amazed.

"You see, I'm using my chakra to reveal their secrets, like this for example." Kabuto closed his eyes as he infused chakra before a map of all five ninja villages appeared on the selected card from Kabuto.

"Awesome! A map!" Sakura exclaimed, impressed as all the other rookies looked just as impressed, even Shino and Shikamaru.

"Of what?" Ino raised an eyebrow.

"It shows the geographical distribution of all the candidates who have come to take the Chunin Exam, what villages they come from and how many from each village. Why do you guys think they all come here to take the exam together at the same time?" Kabuto asked the rookies as his question was met with silence from everyone broken by Choji chewing his chips.

"It's to foster friendships between nations, of course. International brotherhood and all that and it's true enough, as far as it goes." Kabuto explained.

"But there's another reason." Sasuke said, knowing there was more to the story.

"Yeah. You see, the important thing is that this way they can carefully regulate the total number of Shinobi, that end up in each village, thereby maintaining the balance of power." Kabuto added to his explanation.

"Yeah I remember Master Sai saying something along those lines." Sarada remembered.

"But these Chunin Exams seem a whole lot different than the ones we took." Boruto said as Mitsuki nodded.

"Oh yeah, balance of power." Naruto nodded trying to sound like he understood like he understood what Kabuto was talking about.

"Yeah." Boruto rolled his eyes.

"Balance of power….big deal it's a drag." Shikamaru scoffed.

"If the balance isn't maintained, one nation could wind up with many more Shinobi than its neighbors and it might be tempted to attack them so they try to maintain the status quo. Makes sense, I suppose." Kabuto said as some of the rookies still continued to stare at the undercover Sound ninja blankly.

"Do those cards of yours have any info on the other candidates individually?" Sasuke asked, speaking for some of the other rookies.

"They might. You have someone special in mind?" Kabuto asked as Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"I might." Sasuke straightforwardly answered.

"Well I can't promise my information is complete or perfect but I've got something on just about everyone, including you guys, of course." Kabuto smirked.

"That's….kinda creepy…." Boruto's eyes narrowed in a grimace.

"Yeah I mean you're practically stalking people." Sarada agreed with her teammate.

"Tell me anything you know about them. A description, where they're from, whatever, anything at all." Kabuto held up a card.

"He's Gaara of the Desert. And there's Rock Lee of the Leaf Village while you're at it." Sasuke requested as Kabuto frowned slightly.

"Man, that's no fun. You even know their names. That makes it too easy." Kabuto sighed though Team Konohamaru could hear slight bemusement in his voice while Choji took that time to burp as he opened another bag of chips.

"Ugh, disgusting. At least Chocho has some tact." Sarada shook her head in disgust.

"Meh, I don't see a problem with it." Boruto shrugged.

"Okay, first up is Rock Lee." Kabuto said as he twirled a card with his index finger before Rock Lee's statistics ended up on said card.

"Looks like he's about a year older than you guys. Mission Experience, eleven C ranks and twenty D ranks. His squad leader is Guy. In the last twelve months, his Taijutsu has radically improved but his other skills are pretty shaky. Last year, he got a lot of attention as a Genin but for some reason he chose not to participate in the Chunin Exams. This will be his first time as a candidate, same as you guys. His teammates are Tenten and Neji Hyuga." Kabuto explained as Boruto noticed his mother's eyes tense at the mention of Neji.

"Huh? Hyuga?" Naruto asked.

"Right. From what you told me, apparently there was some discourse in the Hyuga Clan?" Sarada asked.

"Yeah….but Uncle Neji never went into the specifics when I was in the past" Boruto answered.

"Now for Gaara of the Desert." Kabuto said as he twirled another card before Gaara's stats appeared on the second card.

"Mission Experience; eight C ranks and get this, one B rank as a Genin." Kabuto explained.

"What!? Geesh, talk about experience…" Boruto muttered.

"There's not a lot more information on this guy. He was a rookie from another land, originally, but there is this. He survived every mission without getting a scratch on him." Kabuto tilted up his glasses as he looked at everyone as everyone looked unnerved at the information, even Team Konohamaru.

"But how? I mean even Lord Seventh got hurt on his mission!" Sarada pointed out, remembering the Land of Waves memory.

"It must be because of the One Tail inside of him." Mitsuki surmised.

"You think?" Boruto asked.

"He could just be in better control of his tailed beast when compared to Lord Seventh at this point in time." Mitsuki theorized.

"This dude's done a B rank as a Genin and has never even been injured." Shikamaru looked surprised as Naruto actually started to sweat a little.

"What's the deal with this guy?" Naruto asked in disbelief while Sasuke was silent though Sarada could tell he was just as unsettled as Naruto if not more through his eyes while Kabuto took this time to pull out another card before twirling it and making the same geographical map from earlier appear again.

"Leaf, Sand, Rain, Grass, Waterfall, Sound. From the looks of it, they've all sent exceptionally skilled candidates to the exam this time around. Of course, the hidden Sound Village is small. It sprang up recently. No one knows anything about it. Those guys are a mystery." Kabuto said before pulling all of his cards together.

"Well you get it. The competition's going to be intense this year." Kabuto smirked as some of the weaker members of the Rookie Nine winced.

"Understatement of the Millennia." Boruto muttered.

"…So it would seem. It's almost enough to make you lose your confidence…" Hinata frowned as Ino turned to her with a glare.

"It's a fine time to start talking like that!" Ino snapped at her.

"Do you really think it's going to be tougher this time?" Sakura asked Kabuto whose smirked widened.

"Oh yeah. In the four years I've been coming, I've never seen a crop of candidates with as much potential as this bunch." Kabuto smirked as Naruto grit his teeth before looking down.

"Looks like it's a bit too much to process for Lord Seventh…" Sarada frowned as Boruto smirked.

"Don't sell our Lord Seventh, Sarada. It's gonna take a lot more than that to get someone like him down." Boruto grinned.

"Indeed, just watch." Mitsuki smiled.

Before Sarada could do anything, Naruto pointed at everyone as he had a huge, confident grin on his face.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki and I'm gonna beat every one of you! Believe it!" Naruto declared with the utmost pride and confidence in his voice.

Needless to say no one looked real impressed with Naruto's declaration but rather they all looked either bewildered, offended or irritated.

"Well what'd I tell you?" Boruto smirked as Sarada groaned.

"Yeah…" Sarada sighed as Mitsuki chuckled as the Rookie Nine definitely didn't look too happy with Naruto.

"Uh…yeah can you say that again? Didn't quite catch that." Kiba snorted sarcastically.

"You moron. Are you trying to get everyone to hate our guts or what?" Shikamaru glared at Naruto though Boruto caught a small smile on Hinata's face.

Naturally Naruto paid these comments no mind and laughed at everyone's attitude before Sakura immediately ran behind him and put him in a headlock, her expression nothing short of exasperate.

"Naruto! You jackass! Why'd you have to go and say something like that you obnoxious little-"Sakura was about to kick Naruto's ass before taking note of the foreign ninja's expressions at the Rookie Nine and they were far from amused.

"Oh hi, everyone! Don't mind him! Sometimes he says these spazzy things and he doesn't really mean them. They just kinda caught them, he's got this kinda condition, you know? Kinda like a psychological condition, he really should be on medication!" Sakura nervously tried kissing everyone's ass though all she got was blank silence and unimpressed stares which she instantly caught before letting Naruto go and scolding him much to his consternation.

"Now see what you've done, Naruto!? You've hurt everybody's feelings! They think you don't respect them but that isn't true, isn't it Naruto!? So would you just for once in your life think about what you're doing!? Think about the rest of us!" Sakura chided Naruto who looked nothing short of uninterested.

"Fine." Naruto sighed.

"The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree." Mitsuki smiled turning to Boruto and Sarada who shot him confused looks.

However before anyone knew anything, three ninja all dashed towards Kabuto as the one with spiky black hair threw two kunai at Kabuto which he managed to dodge before the one resembling a mummy pushed his amplified hand forward which Kabuto dodged with a very fast speed.

"Who are all these three?" Boruto asked.

"Their headbands…they're from the Village Hidden in the Sound." Mitsuki explained.

"Sound?" Sarada asked.

Kabuto smirked at their failed attack before his glasses suddenly shattered much to everyone's surprise.

"Oh I see….so it was that kind of attack." Kabuto took his glasses off.

"Hang on, he dodged that attack. How did that happen?" Sasuke asked, completely perplexed.

"That's what I'd like to know." Sarada agreed.

"It must have come closer than it looked. Look at him acting like it was nothing. Real tough guy." Shikamaru turned his head at Kabuto before Kabuto vomited to everyone's astonishment.

"Wait what just happened!?" Sarada exclaimed.

"What did that guy do!?" Boruto asked just as stunned.

"What!? Did he just!?" Naruto's eyes widened in alarm.

"Kabuto, what's wrong?" Sakura asked as everyone shot glares though more so out of curiosity than of actual anger as Naruto and Sakura ran to Kabuto's side.

"Hey Kabuto, are you okay?" Sakura asked kneeling to his side and she and Naruto kneeled down as they acted as support for him.

"Yeah….I'm fine." Kabuto answered.

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked as the mummy lookalike decided to speak up.

"Not such a tough guy after all, I guess. Maybe that's why he's on his seventh try." The mummy obviously smirked under his bandages.

"Write this on your little card, punk. The genin from the Sound Village will be Chunin when this is over. Guaranteed." The young man with spiky black hair jeered at Kabuto as Naruto and Sakura glared at him with Naruto looking ready to attack the punk.

"I wonder….did he take that attack on purpose?" Boruto asked his teammates.

"Given that Kabuto is a spy, it could have been a way to ascertain their skills." Mitsuki stated.

However, a puff of smoke stopped any further fighting.

"Alright, you baby faced degenerates! Pipe down and listen up!" A deep voice announced as the smoke died down revealing a tall, intimidating looking man with a pair of Chunin surrounding both his left and right sides.

"Who is that?" Boruto asked, not recognizing the Chunin though he did think his scars looked badass.

"He kinda gives me the creeps." Sarada slightly grimaced.

"That's a cool scar he has across his face. Maybe I can get one like that…" Boruto childishly gleamed as Sarada just shook her head while Mitsuki laughed.

"It's time to begin. I'm Ibiki Marino, your proctor. And from this moment, your worst enemy." Ibiki gave a smirk definitely one would give before torturing their enemy.

"Wait that's right. He's the main head behind the Torture and Interrogation of the Leaf Village." Mitsuki explained to his teammates.

"Huh? Oh…well…that explains his scary demeanor…" Sarada muttered.

"And I guess it was good we got Uncle Sai for the first exam rather than this guy…" Boruto shook his head, thankful this guy wasn't the main person behind the Chunin Exams for him and his friends while everyone in the memory were taken aback definitely not expecting such a tough looking dude to be the person in charge of their statuses of either promotion or failing.

Ibiki then turned to the Sound Ninja with a scowl as he pointed at them.

"First, you candidates from the Village Hidden in the Sound, knock it off! Who told you that you could fight? You want to be failed before we've even began!?" Ibiki threatened the three who merely smiled at him in return.

"Sorry, it's our first time. Guess we're a little jumpy, sir." The mummy apologized though his tone let everyone know he was anything but sorry.

Something that Ibiki caught, making him smirk.

"I'll say this once so listen up. There will be no combat between candidates. No attacking each other without the permission of your proctors. And even then, the use of fatal force is strictly prohibited. Anyone who even thinks of messing with me will be disqualified immediately. Got it?" Ibiki turned to everyone with a menacing glare.

"I ain't even in the memory but he got me." Boruto shook his head.

"Yeah same." Sarada gulped, glad she didn't have Ibiki as her Chunin Exams proctor.

Though Ibiki was met with silence as the dark haired sound ninja smirked.

"No force? That's no fun." The boy grinned as the Chunin surrounding Ibiki all chuckled though Ibiki chuckled not once.

"Now if we're ready, we'll proceed to the first stage of the Chunin Exam. Hand over your paperwork and in return, you'll each be given a number. The number determines where you will sit. We'll start the written test once you're all seated." Ibiki explained holding up a random number.

"Written Exam?" Sarada quirked an eyebrow.

"Yeah we didn't have to do that with our exams." Boruto noted as Naruto became noticeably frightened at the word "written".

"The what? Did he say…'written'?" Naruto asked though Kotetsu smirked at Naruto's upcoming dread as he shook a handful of papers, making Naruto visibly shake.

"No! Not a written test no way!" Naruto nearly soiled himself as Team Konohamaru no doubt found Naruto's distress nothing short of amusing.

"Dad's worst enemy." Boruto snickered.

"But it's still weird to see written exams here when we didn't have to go through them." Sarada stated, a bit confused as to why they had written exams but somewhat relieved that she and her friends didn't have to go through the same thing.

"Guess times have changed." Mitsuki shrugged as everyone got their respective numbers and seats once Naruto calmed down.

Naruto was no doubt dreading whatever questions could be on the exam before a familiar voice got his attention.

"Oh Naruto?" Hinata asked, snapping Naruto from his internal mental breakdown.

"Oh? Where'd you come from Hinata?" Naruto smiled as Hinata looked down.

"I…wanted to say good luck and everything…." Hinata meekly smiled as Naruto merely smiled at her.

"Thanks!" Naruto grinned with Boruto smiling at the sweet moment between his future parents as Ibiki decided to get down to business as he got everyone's attention with a stick of chalk he tapped on the black board behind him.

"Everyone, eyes front. There are a few rules that you need to be aware of. And I won't answer any questions. So you better pay attention the first time around." Ibiki stated.

"Well that's very resourceful." Sarada sarcastically rolled her eyes.

"Alright, rule number one is this, the written part of the exam is conducted on a point reduction system. Contrary to what some of you may be used to, you all begin the test with a perfect score of ten points. One point will be deducted for each answer you get wrong. So if you miss three, your final score will be seven." Ibiki explained.

"And if you miss seven, you'll have a three." Mitsuki added.

"Pretty straight-forward and simple enough." Boruto nodded.

"I guess that's why he doesn't allow any questions." Sarada sighed.

"Rule Number two; teams will pass or fail based on the total scores of all three members." Ibiki said as everyone seemed receptive of this.

Or…almost everyone as Sakura face-desked.

"What!? Wait a second! You're saying we all get scored as a team!?" Sakura exclaimed in utter disbelief.

"Silence! I have my reasons so shut up and listen!" Ibiki effectively shut Sakura down.

"Jesus….." Sarada muttered.

"Rule Number three; the sentinels you see positioned around the room are there to watch you carefully for any signs of cheating. And for every incident they spot, they will subtract two points from the culprit's score. But be warned, their eyes are extremely sharp and if they catch you five times, you'll be dismissed before the tests are even scored. Anyone fool enough to be caught cheating by the sentinels doesn't deserve to be here." Ibiki smirked.

"I've got my eye on you guys." Kotetsu smirked as a couple of boys grimaced.

"If you want to be considered Shinobi then show us what exceptional shinobi you can be." Ibiki said before adding in one final addendum, "One more thing. If any candidate should get a zero and fail the test then the entire team fails." Ibiki finished with a dark look in his eyes as everyone in the room looked sick at that, none more so than Team Seven.

"Oh this is not gonna be pretty…." Boruto muttered.

"I can only wonder how this will play out." Mitsuki said.

"The final question won't be given out until fifteen minutes before the end of the testing period. You'll have one hour total." Ibiki said as the time on the clock reflected 3:30.

"Begin!" Ibiki said as the sounds of pencils hitting paper emanated through the room.

As Team Konohamaru walked over to Naruto's desk and looked at the test papers everyone was given, they immediately noticed something off about the questions.

"Wait a second…those are all integrated problems based on principles of uncertainty and requiring complex mechanical energy and analysis. There's only a handful of Genin, all three of us included, who can actually do this. Uncle Sasuke probably can do this along with Auntie Sakura but dad has no way in hell of solving those problems!" Boruto looked at Naruto who looked ready to soil himself.

"Hold on…with all those rules and restrictions….it's almost like….they're more concerned with cheating than the actual exam itself….almost like…." Sarada's eyes widened before it was Mitsuki who spoke for her.

"They're trying to get them to cheat…." Mitsuki cut Sarada off.

"Right! As ninja you're expected to perform espionage-like missions. And you have to get information without getting caught….that's why they're more concerned about cheating than the test. Because they want to see how they can get the information without getting caught!" Boruto spoke in realization.

"Although….it doesn't look like Lord Seventh has figured that out yet…." Mitsuki noted with a hint of amusement.

"He became Hokage so he gets through this somehow." Sarada reminded her teammates.

"Naruto…" Hinata suddenly spoke, snapping Naruto out of his misery.

"If you want….I could….uh…I could show you my test…." Hinata offered as she scooted her test closer to Naruto making Boruto smile.

"Those young lovebirds are getting closer." Boruto smiled.

"What about my parents?" Sarada sighed as Naruto looked skeptical seeming to believe this may have been a trap by Kiba and Shino to make Naruto fail before deciding to be fair.

"Hey Hinata, why would you wanna show me your answers?" Naruto asked making Hinata turn as red as a tomate.

"Why? Well….you see….It's just….It's because I don't want you to have to leave…Uh…it'd be nice if we could all stick together….I mean…the nine of us…being rookies and all…" Hinata tipped her fingers together.

"So embarrassing!" Boruto face-palmed getting second hand embarrassment as his teammates laughed at his discomfort.

"But she can't even speak a coherent sentence around him. I wonder how she even confessed to him…." Sarada asked more to herself.

"Probably some crazy dude nuking the village and making her grow a backbone." Boruto shrugged.

Naruto smiled as he seemed eager and willing to accept Hinata's offer before a kunai embedded itself in the desk right behind Naruto, making him and some of Team Konohamaru go blue in the face with fear.

"W-what the? What was that all about?" The ninja asked as Kotetsu looked dead at him.

"Five strikes and you're out. You just failed the test." Kotetsu smirked as the student paled with horror.

"T-that can't be…." The student frowned as Kotetsu pointed at him.

"You and your teammates will leave the room immediately." Kotetsu grinned as several students were booted and even drug out from the room.

"No! No way! Who says I cheated five times!? Where's your proof!?" A failed genin spat as he challenged the Chunin before he found himself pushed up against the wall behind him.

"Sorry, pal. We were chosen for this duty because we don't make mistake like that. You can't even blink without us seeing it. We're the best of the best and you my friend are history. Now get out and take your teammates with you." A chunin with his eyes wrapped, dropped the genin to the ground as everyone cringed at how harsh and brutal that was.

"Geez….and I thought our exams were hard…" Sarada muttered.

"It makes our exams look like a princess fairy tale in comparison." Mitsuki joked though like always no one laughed at his jokes.

Realizing how hopeless cheating would be for him, Naruto smiled before turning to Hinata.

"Thank you…..But I can't…." Naruto softly smiled.

"Are…are you sure?" Hinata asked.

"Hey I can handle it! I'm an Ace Ninja, remember? Besides if I get caught I don't want you getting in trouble." Naruto stated as Hinata blushed, no doubt thinking this was an inch closer in their relationship or whatever they may have had before she turned back to her test paper.

"Looks like he may be regretting that decision." Mitsuki mused as Naruto comically cried though the Team noticed everyone using their signature jutsus and even activing their Dojutsu if they had one with Kankuro even leaving to "go to the bathroom".

However as the time winded down, Naruto answered not one problem before Ibiki decided to speak up with there being only fifteen minutes left.

"Alright, listen up! Here's the tenth and final question." Ibiki stated.

"Looks like the main event is here." Boruto yawned, ready to see what the tenth question actually was.

"But before I give you the question, there are some more rules that you need to be aware of." Ibiki started.

"More rules?" Boruto tilted his head.

"Good god, what other rules are there?" Sarada asked, getting a bit annoyed at all the rules everyone was given as the door opened, making everyone turn their attention to Kankuro and the "proctor" by his side.

"Ah, made it just in time. I hope you found your trip to the bathroom 'enlightening'." Ibiki said with a grin as Kankuro nearly broke out into a nervous sweat at being found out on his way of cheating.

"I guess he got found out too." Sarada shrugged.

"When your sentinel has creepy lines going down its face, it's kinda hard not to figure out he's a puppet." Boruto said.

"These rules are unique to question ten. Listen carefully and try not to let them frighten you." Ibiki said as various rookies looked unnerved as for some (Naruto), everything was riding on them answering the tenth question.

"Well maybe if someone more….friendlier looking was giving the question, nobody would be 'frightened'." Sarada sighed.

"With so much hype, I can only wonder how this question is gonna be." Mitsuki added.

"Very well then, rule number one; each of you is free to choose not to be given the final question. It's your decision." Ibiki said much to the shock of everyone listening.

"Whoa, so what's the catch? Let's say we decide that we don't want to do it. What happens then?" Temari asked utterly confused.

"If you choose not to take the tenth question, regardless of your answers to the other nine, you'll get a zero. In other words, you fail. And that means both of your teammates fail as well." Ibiki smiled as that obviously didn't sit right

"What the hell? So even if you got eight of them correct, if you miss the tenth question you fail?" Boruto looked freak at these new conditions.

"I say let him finish. There must be more to it." Mitsuki reminded his friend as Ibiki sighed at all the panicked whispering he heard.

"Hold on, you didn't let me finish. If you do accept the question but answer it incorrectly, you will not only fail, you will be barred from taking the Chunin Exam ever again!" Ibiki said as nobody was a fan of these new rules.

"Okay there has to be more to this…these rules definitely don't add up." Sarada donned a pensive expression.

"Of course…I have my own theory behind this whole Chunin Exam tenth question." Boruto said.

However before he could speak his theory, an irate Kiba cut him off.

"Hey that's bull, man! What kind of bogus rule is that! There's lots of people here who've taken the test before!" Kiba spat with Akamaru looking ready to pounce and bite Ibiki's face off though Ibiki merely laughed off Kiba's anger.

"I guess you're just unlucky. I wasn't making the rules before but I am now. Of course if you don't want to take it, you don't have to. If you're not feeling confident then by all means, skip it. You can come back and try again next year." Ibiki offered the chance for the candidates to give up though no one looked willing to give up.

"Now then, if you're ready….the tenth and final question. Those who don't want to take it, raise your hand. Your number will be recorded and then you're free to go." Ibiki said as various teams decided to not go through with the tenth question and they left. Though those teams leaving were of no real surprise, the real surprise was that Naruto of all people raised his head though no one was more surprised of that then Sasuke, Sakura and Hinata.

"Wait, is dad seriously giving up? No….it can't be…." Boruto looked at his dad in disbelief.

"He's definitely up to something…" Mitsuki surmised.

"But what?" Sarada asked as Naruto immediately slammed his hand down on the desk he was sitting at.

"Don't underestimate me! I don't quit and I don't run! You can act tough all you want, you guys aren't going to scare me off! No way! I don't if I do get stuck as a Genin for the rest of my life! I'll still be Hokage someday!" Naruto declared with the utmost confidence and certainty in his voice.

"Told you he was up to something." Mitsuki laughed though instead of being embarrassed, Boruto and Sarada merely smiled at Naruto.

"Crazy idiot." Sarada chuckled.

"Yeah I knew he wouldn't give up." Boruto smiled as Ibiki looked unimpressed with Naruto's declaration though Naruto's outburst seemed to give several in the room who were previously stricken with fear a bit more confidence to stay and attempt to follow through with the exam.

"This decision is one that could change your life. If for any reason you would rather quit, now's your last chance." Ibiki said in a cold tone, speaking more to Naruto than anyone else in the room though Naruto still donned a confident grin.

"No way, I never go back on my word. That's the way of the ninja!" Naruto still spoke with unwavering fear as more and more people were being influenced with Naruto's courage.

"Looks like Dad's influence and confidence is rubbing off on people." Boruto smiled.

"He has a way with words." Sarada smiled with a blush as it seems that even the sentinels and Ibiki looked impressed with Naruto's will.

"Well then, I admire your determination if nothing else. For those of you remaining, there's only one thing left to do….And that's for me to tell you that you've all passed the first exam." Ibiki said with a smile much to the surprise of everyone in the room.

"After all that, they passed?" Sarada asked.

"Well like I was saying earlier, with my theory that it wasn't so much about the tenth question but rather if they had the guts to stay or not." Boruto said.

"After all, there are tricky situations Chunin have to go through." Mitsuki added as no one in the room cheered but rather they looked even more lost than when the tenth question was mentioned and underway.

"Hold on, what just happened? What do you mean we passed? Where's the tenth question?" Sakura asked before Ibiki chuckled as he smiled the biggest that Team Konohamaru had ever seen.

"That's the creepiest smile I've ever seen…" Boruto muttered.

"Don't be rude, Boruto." Sarada snapped at Boruto.

"There never was one. Not a written one, at least. Actually your decision to stay was the answer to the tenth question." Ibiki grinned as no one looked satisfied with that answer.

"Hold on, so the other nine questions you gave us were just a waste of time? Is that what you're saying?" Temari asked.

"No, no, not at all. Quite the opposite. The first nine questions had an important overriding purpose-to test your ability to surreptitiously gather strategic intelligence under the most adverse circumstances." Ibiki said with a smile as Temari merely blinked in response.

"Oh…well…that clears up everything…" Temari said though some in the room still looked relatively lost.

"What'd I tell you two?" Boruto smirked as Sarada rolled her eyes as Mitsuki laughed.

"Let me explain. You see, my objective was to test you not only as individuals but as a team and on how well you function as a part of that team. That's why the test was scored on a team basis so you'd know that everything you did or failed to do would directly affect your teammates. I wanted to see how you'd handle the pressure." Ibiki explained as Naruto nodded in understanding.

"Mmm-hmm. Yeah, I figured it was something like that." Naruto tried saying intelligently though the confusion in his eyes were apparent to everyone.

"Oh yeah right." Boruto rolled his eyes with Sakura having similar thoughts.

"The first nine questions on the test were difficult. In fact, as you may have realized, too difficult for any Genin to be expected to solve. I imagine that most of you quickly came to that conclusion that you'd have to cheat if you had any chance of passing. The fact is the test was designed to encourage cheating. It almost demanded it. Of course it would have done you little good unless you had someone to cheat from so I disguised two Chunin who already knew the answers and had them sit in with you." Ibiki added onto his previous explanation.

"Like we said earlier." Boruto nodded.

"Though that was pretty slick of Ibiki, slipping in two Chunin unnoticed." Sarada said as Naruto looked pretty freaking, realizing just how blind he was the whole time.

However, hearing people question his overall mental state, he tried to save face.

"Oh c'mon, I wasn't fooled for a second! You had to be a complete fool not to see! Isn't that right Hinata?" Naruto turned to Hinata desperately as she decided to play along.

"Those who were caught at it failed. Better not to cheat than to cheat clumsily." Ibiki said before undoing the head sash covering his head before everyone was disturbed at what he had kept hidden.

"W-what in the?" Sarada covered her mouth as Ibiki's head was covered in various scars.

"How did he get those!?" Boruto nearly fell back in shock, not seeing wounds or scars that vicious.

"Information. It can be the most valuable weapon in battle. How well you gather information determines whether a mission's a failure or a success. There'll be times where you'll have to risk your life to get it." Ibiki stated.

"Man what a mess…scars and puncture wounds….burn marks. What he must've endured…" Sasuke looked unnerved along with other Genin in the room save for Gaara.

"Of course, you must always consider the source of your information. Intelligence gathered from an enemy is not necessarily accurate. Always bear this in mind. Disinformation can be worse than no information at all. It can lead to the death of comrades or the less of a village. That's why I put you in the position where you had to gather accurate intelligence. Cheat in order to survive. And that's why those who weren't good enough at it were weeded out, leaving the rest of you." Ibiki said as he tied his head sash back around his head.

"He does have a point. Chunin isn't a rank given out lightly. If you're not careful, you could cost the life of your team alongside yourself…" Boruto said, remembering their own Chunin Exams.

"And you have to make sure to have good teamwork as well." Sarada added, remembering how they never would've passed if not for their faith and trust in each other.

"Okay but I'm still not getting what the tenth question thing is all about." Temari said.

"You're not? The tenth question was the main point of the whole exam. Surely, you see that." Ibiki said as it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Sure but explain it anyway." Sakura pressed on.

"As I said before, the goal was to test you not only as individuals but as part of a squad. The final question gave you two choices, both difficult. You could choose to play it safe and skip the question though it meant that you and your teammates would be failed or you could try and answer it, knowing if you got it wrong, you would lose your chance of ever being Chunin. It was a no-win situation but just the sort of situation Chunin have to face almost every day. For example, let me give you a hypothetical mission. To steal a document from an enemy stronghold. You have no idea how many ninja the enemy has or how heavily armed they are. Furthermore, you have reason to believe that the enemy expects that you might be walking blindly into a trap. Now do you have the option of taking a pass on this insane mission or say my comrades my comrades and I would live to fight another day. Can you choose to avoid danger? No. There will be many missions that will seem almost suicidal if you think about it but you do not think about it. You think only of the goal and of achieving it through courage and discipline. These are the qualities required of a Chunin squad leader. Those who choose the safer of two paths, those whose determination falters in the face of adversity, those who would put their comrades lives in jeopardy by worrying about their own, those who would save their own necks at the price of sacred honor will never be able to call themselves Chunin at least as long as I'm here. As for the rest of you, you have successfully answered the ten questions I put to you. You have earned the right to continue onto the next step. You have passed through the first gate. I hereby declare this part of the Chunin selection exam completed. There's nothing left but to wish you all good luck." Ibiki smiled at everyone.

"Well that was definitely a lot…" Mitsuki began.

"But at least that part is over now." Sarada smiled.

"Though he passed without even answering one question." Boruto snorted as Team Konohamaru all shared a good laugh at that notion.

"Alright we did it! That's one down!" Naruto cheered, ignoring the bizarre looks he received though Ibiki looked amused with Naruto's boasts.

However these cheers were interrupted with one of the windows of the exam room breaking in.

"What the hell?" Boruto asked.

"Is it a bird? Is it a plane?" Mitsuki asked.

"I-is this part of the exam?" Naruto's eyes widened as a huge banister was put behind a purple haired female wearing a trench coat and a pull fishnet body suit.

"Heads up, boys and girls! This is no time to be celebrating. I'll be your next proctor, Anko Mitarashi! You ready for the second test? Good! Then let's go, follow me!" Anko pumped with a fist as she was rewarded with freaked out, bizarre looks.

"I see she's even more extra than she is now….Jesus Christ…." Sarada deadpanned.

"Though what happened to her? She looks….." Boruto looked confused.

"Different?" Mitsuki smiled.

"Wait, Ibiki, you let these guys pass? Your test was way too easy." Anko scoffed as Ibiki who smirked.

"Or it could be a stronger crop of candidates this year." Ibiki mused with Anko returning his smirk.

"Hm, they sure don't look it. Trust me, before I'm done with them, more than half will be eliminated." Anko grinned at the uncomfortable looks she received.

"Huh? More than half, really?" Sakura gulped.

"Hmph, this is going to be fun. Alright, you maggot have had it easy so far but things are gonna be different starting first thing in the morning. I'll let your squad leaders know where you're to meet me. Dismissed." Anko said.

"Guess we're getting into the knitty gritty of things!" Boruto grinned as he pumped his fist before the scene shifted to everyone being out of the Ninja Academy.

"Wait…this is…." Sarada's eyes widened at the familiar area.

"Whoa….nice place…what is it?" Naruto asked as everyone looked nervous as they were in front of a forest area behind a huge fence.

"This is the location for the second phase of the exam. It's the Fourty Fourth Battle Training Zone. But we call it the forest of death." Anko smirked at the disturbed looks she received.

* * *

Well we are DEFINITELY getting into the meat of things in the Chunin Exam Arc now guys!

Speaking of, that begs the question I asked at the beginning of the chapter.

Now should I make it to where Naruto was at least subconsciously aware of the beating Sasuke gave Team Dosu or do you guys think I should skip it since it might be too brutal for Sarada to see or should I keep it?

Oh well, lemme know please and I'll see you guys in Chapter 14 coming October 21st! ^_^

Til then, see you crazy folk later! ^_^


	14. The Forest of Death

Hehe, we're really getting into the content you guys as well as I are gunning to see as well as the content I have been waiting to write ever since I first started this story!

I gotta say I'm loving this story and how Team Konohamaru is seeing how they essentially grew up in a Disney Fairy Tale compared to what their parents went through!

Not to mention this chapter has the introduction of a certain snake! ^_^

But before I begin I wanna give a HUGE sorry on a huge folly on my part! So when I originally posted this chapter I posted that Chapter 14 would come out October 10th before I changed it to come out today October 21st and stupid me thought I changed it as such BUT I started getting guest reviews asking where the chapter was and I was confused before I looked at the chapter and saw that I didn't change it so I'm VERY sorry for the confusion guys! XD

I won't make the same mistake again!

Now with all that said, let the chapter commence!

* * *

"….Yeah that's a way to get people excited…." Sarada muttered, noticing how a good deal of the examinees looked a little….green to say the least.

"And I knew the times were different back then…." Boruto began.

"But it's definitely like we grew up in a fairy tale." Mitsuki chuckled as Sakura shivered at the sight of the humongous forest.

"This whole place just completely creeps me out." Sakura cringed as Anko merely chuckled at the discomfort of some of the contestants.

"It should. They call it the Forest of Death and soon enough, you're going to find out why." Anko grinned.

"I remember we had our final exams in there and it may've been creepy but it doesn't have the same bad air it has here." Boruto shook his head as Naruto was definitely not fazed by this threat.

Or at the very least, he tried not to show it, outwardly.

"Hmph! They call it the Forest of Death but soon enough, you're going to find out why'. Do your worst! You're not gonna scare me away! I can handle anything!" Naruto declared as he pointed straight at Anko while his teammates and his son both looked like they had second hand embarrassment.

Anko on the other hand appeared to find all of this endearing.

"So, looks like we've got ourselves a tough guy." Anko slightly giggled before a kunai flew right by Naruto, leaving a bloodied scratch behind as Anko's kunai was embedded in the ground directly behind him, unnerving nearly everyone watching.

"Okay isn't that going a bit too far!?" Sarada asked, not a fan on how things literally went from zero to a hundred within the span of less than five seconds.

"I guess this is her way of making a point…" Mitsuki's eyes narrowed as Anko appeared as fast as behind of him as a flash of light.

"You're not afraid, are you? You guys like you usually leave their blood all over this forest." Anko purred like a kitten before she actually licked the blood from Naruto's cut with her tongue, much to everyone's disgust.

"Disgusting!" Sarada grimaced.

"Yeah that's going way too far!" Boruto agreed, not believing this deadly, crazy lady was the same cheerful Anko that was the sensei of Chocho's team.

Before anyone knew anything, a lady with a particularly long tongue casually returned the kunai that Anko used as Anko was mere seconds from turning the woman into a pincushion.

"I was just returning your knife." The woman purred as Anko cheekily grinned.

"Why thank you, Grass Ninja. You know, I really only recommend you stand this close behind me if you wish to reach a premature end." Anko smirked as she and the grass ninja's eyes met for a split second as the woman's tongue ejected back into her mouth.

"My pardon. With the sight of blood and your blade slicing through my hair, mhm, I'm afraid that I just became a little too excited. I meant you no harm." The grass ninja apologized before taking her leave as everyone was definitely unnerved at what they had just witnessed.

"Geesh, this is the same Anko we know now?" Sarada cocked an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Yeah she's even deadlier than she is now…" Boruto muttered, just wondering what happened to take this edge off of the former disciple of Orochimaru.

"And what about that grass ninja? There's definitely something more to her…." Boruto's eyes narrowed.

"Yeah something about her is…suspect…" Sarada looked at the grass ninja's retreating form as Anko merely chuckled.

"This is gonna be fun." Anko shook her head in amusement before she made her way to the front of everyone.

"Now before we begin this test, I have something to hand out to you all." Anko began as she fished inside of her long trench coat before pulling out a handful of papers.

"It's just a general consensus form. Before the test, all of you are going to have to read over this form and sign it." Anko explained.

"What for?" Naruto curiously asked.

"Som of you might not come back from this test and I have to get your consent to that risk. Otherwise it would be my responsibility." Anko replied before she began laughing though no one laughed back as some looked serious, some looked ready and some looked ready to piss themselves.

"Now I'll explain what you'll be doing on this test. Here, pass these out." Anko said to Naruto as Naruto did just that in passing out the consent forms to everyone.

"The first thing you need to know is that this test will tax every one of your survival skills." Anko said as everyone skimmed over all the different rules and procedures of the second exam.

"First, I'll give you all a description of the terrain on the practice field. The 44th Battle Training Zone has forty four locked entrance gates. There are rivers and a forest inside. In the center is a locked tower, located 10 kilometers from each gate. It's in this confined area that you'll undergo the survival test. The test consists of an anything goes battle to get your hands on these scrolls." Anko added onto her precious explanation as she held up two different scrolls, a white and black one.

"Way different than what we had to do." Sarada said.

"Yeah it sounds like when we had to get those flags." Boruto agreed, not quite looking back on that test with a fond perspective.

"Both of them?" Kabuto asked.

"Yes, you'll be fighting to get both a Heaven Scroll and an Earth Scroll. Altogether, 26 teams will be taking part in this test. So half of those teams will be going after the Heaven Scroll and the other half will be trying to get the Earth Scroll. I'll hand over one kind of scroll to each team and that's what you'll be vying for." Anko told everyone as they listened.

"Definitely like our flag test." Mitsuki said.

"Okay so how do we pass the test?" Sasuke asked for everyone.

"Your entire squad must bring both the Heaven and Earth scroll to the tower." Anko answered.

"That means at the very best, half of us will fail-more, if not every team is able to get the scrolls." Sakura theorized.

"No one ever said it would be easy. And one more thing, the test has a time limit. You must finish it within five days." Anko said, to the interest of everyone as some looked squeamish at that.

"We had an afternoon for our tests. Geez, times are really different." Boruto sighed.

"Five days out there?" Ino looked freaked at this sudden limitation.

"What're we supposed to do for food!?" Choji looked even more freaked as Anko grinned, no doubt taking pleasure in everyone's discomfort.

"Just look around. The forest is full of things to eat and there's plenty to feed all of you." Anko replied amusingly.

"Yeah but that's not all the forest has plenty of. There are man-eating beasts and poisonous plants in there." Kabuto smirked.

"Oh man…" Choji groaned.

"This is why they call it 'survival', you know." Ino rolled her eyes at Choji's ridiculousness.

"That means with these circumstances there's no way half the teams will pass the test." Neji stated, matter of factly.

"With the days getting longer, the nights are getting shorter. So we will have less time to sleep and less time to recover. It is a challenge indeed." Lee grinned.

"A true survival test." Mitsuki said.

"A part of me is excited to see what our parents are gonna have in store of them." Boruto grinned slightly.

"Completely surrounded by enemies, there won't be time to rest. We'll have to keep a constant watch." Sasuke added onto what Lee and Neji previously said.

"Right. This test also measures endurance behind enemy lines. This is designed to be a grueling test and I'm sure some of you won't be up to the challenge." Anko said as Shikamaru raised a hand.

"So uh, let's say mid exam, can we quit?" Shikamaru asked as Anko darted her eyes at the Nara.

"Of course not. In the middle of a battle you can't say, 'Sorry, I quit.'. Well…I guess you could but it's probably going to get you killed." Anko smiled as Shikamaru looked unsatisfied with that answer.

"Oh just great." Shikamaru deadpanned as Ino looked even meeker while Choji scarfed down his chips in a flurry of fear.

"There are also some ways you can get disqualified. The first is simple-if all three members of a team can't make it to the story with both scrolls after five days. Number two-if a team loses a member or if a member becomes incapacitated and cannot continue. But most important, none of you, absolutely none of you may look at the contents of the scrolls until you've reached the tower." Anko explained, putting very specific emphasis on that last method of disqualification.

"Why not?" Boruto asked.

"Something tells me we're better off not knowing." Sarada muttered.

"W-what if it just happens to flap open and you just read it?" Naruto asked, unintentionally asking the next question on Boruto's mind as Anko merely chuckled at the question.

"Let me put it to you this way young man, you-don't-want-to-know." Anko answered, deliberately spacing out the last portion of her answer as Naruto was definitely unsatisfied with her answer.

"What'd I tell you?" Sarada turned to her teammate who merely huffed in response.

"There are times when a ninja will be asked to carry secret documents. The scroll is to test your integrity. Okay, we're done. Each team take your consent forms and exchange them over there for your scrolls. After that, each team pick a gate and you'll be let inside." Anko finally concluded everyone's orientation of sorts to the Forest of Death before sighing.

"Oh and I have one more word of advice…..just don't die!" Anko yelled as everyone prepped themselves mentally for the hell they were guaranteed to experience ahead.

"Well that's some healthy motivation." Boruto mused.

"At least everyone seems at least somewhat pumped?" Mitsuki offered as Naruto walked around reading his flier as he noticed a certain shy Hyuga standing by a tree.

"Hey it's mom!" Boruto pointed out.

"What's she doing hanging there?" Sarada asked.

"Oh hey! What're you doing all the way out here?" Naruto asked as Hinata nearly fainted at the sight of her crush.

"Oh Naruto! I um, I just…..nothing…" Hinata darted her eyes away as Naruto merely closed his eyes in confusion, no doubt thinking on how weird Hinata is.

"Anyone notice how Lord Seventh used to always shut his eyes when he was a kid?" Sarada noted as Boruto blinked.

"Huh….I never really noticed. He didn't do that when I went back in time…" Boruto cocked his head.

"Somehting must have changed." Mitsuki shrugged as Hinata then noticed the cut on Naruto's cheek.

"I, uh, oh, you're hurt!" Hinata noticed Naruto's injury as she started to dig in her medicine pouch.

"Here, I have some-"Hinata tried to offer Naruto some ointment as Naruto walked off, clearly losing interest in the conversation.

"Well anyway, see ya later." Naruto walked off as Hinata was no doubt disappojnted in losing her chance with Naruto.

"You know, now I'm starting to understand why mom didn't wanna tell me or Hima some stuff that happened when she and dad were my age." Boruto sighed.

"Well she's not really making it easy for herself either. If she gets more confidence, she's sure to woo over Lord Seventh." Mitsuki laughed as Team Konohamaru followed Team Seven to where they were given their scrolls as they waited expectantly with the other teams for the gates of the Forest of Death to open.

Three….Two….One…

"Alright, heads up you maggots! The second part of the test has begun!" Anko announced as the gates to the forest officially opened as Team Seven looked very excited for the second exam to officially begin.

"Well, alright! Here we go guys!" Naruto broadly grinned as Team Seven dashed and advanced through the forest as Team Konohamaru eagerly chased behind them.

"Man I'm so excited to see what's gonna happen!" Boruto pumped his fists as Sarada and Mitsuki nodded just as excited as their boisterous teammate.

However, upon descending and walking through the forest, sounds of anguished and fearful screams emanated through the air, unnerving both Teams Seven and Konohamaru.

"T-that sounded like someone screaming…." Sakura nervously gulped as birds fluttered through the area.

"Geez, looks like this place is really living up to its name of The Forest of Death…." Sarada grimaced as more screams of people no doubt losing their lives.

"I can only wonder what they're going through…" Boruto gulped.

"I do not like this place…." Sakura muttered.

"Same here, momma." Sarada whole-heartedly agreed with her mother.

"Oh c'mon! It's nothing to be scared of! It's gonna be a piece of cake." Naruto tried reassuring his teammate before suddenly turning around and darting off.

"Excuse me a second, I've really gotta you know…" Naruto unzipped his pants.

"Are you kidding me!?" Sarada yelled as Boruto face-palmed while Mitsuki chuckled.

Sakura however was nothing short of unamused before she whacked Naruto dead in his skull leaving swelling.

"Yeah, right! Get outta here! What is this, a kennel!? Not in front of me, you don't! Find a bush or something!" Sakura yelled.

"Although…something tells me if it was dad needing to pee, she'd be all for it." Sarada rolled her eyes in embarrassment as she noticed Sakura's eye gleam in excitement.

"Ugh….fine…" Naruto groaned as Sasuke huffed.

"Idiot." Sasuke scoffed, utterly convinced his teammates were the craziest folks in the universe.

As Naruto did his business, he suddenly heard the sound of leaves shuffling and dark chuckling.

"What the!?" Naruto asked before he suddenly found himself on the floor of the forest.

"Who the hell is that!?" Boruto yelled as Team Konohamaru looked to see a ninja around the same age of Naruto wearing a yellow jumpsuit and a weird mask over his mouth.

"It looks like he's trying to usurp Lord Seventh's scroll…." Mitsuki surmised as the ninja held a Kunai to Naruto's head.

"Hello there, brat." The ninja smirked under his mask as Naruto growled at him.

"Who the hell are you!?" Naruto glared as Naruto was suddenly restrained through a flurry of ropes.

"Just here to get a little gift, you know." The ninja said as he dug his hand through Naruto's pouch before realizing he was coming up short.

"Hmph, so you don't have the scroll my team and I are looking for. No matter, I'll kill your teammates and get the scroll for myself." The ninja smirked as he threw Naruto to the ground like a piece of meat.

"You bastard!" Naruto yelled as the ninja laughed.

"Don't worry. You'll meet them soon enough." The ninja laughed before transforming into Naruto as he walked off.

"No! Sasuke and Sakura are gonna be in danger! I won't let that rat bastard hurt them!" Naruto growled before slowly dragging himself across the floor with his chin.

"How despicable! Masquerading as someone to steal their scroll!" Sarada crossed her arms, annoyed that she couldn't free Naruto from his bindings.

"I wouldn't worry too much. Master Sasuke and Sakura won't fall to someone like that." Mitsuki was quick to remind his friends before they followed "Naruto" back to where he met with his teammates.

"Ah man, that was a lot! I wrote my whole name!" The imposter laughed as Sakura and Sasuke were not too receptive of his brand of toilet humor.

"You are such a pig! You're really disgusting sometimes, you know that?" Sakura growled, eager to smack Naruto in his skull before Sasuke actually did just that, taking full initiative of the situation at hand.

"That was fast." Boruto blinked.

"Guess he figured out that was an imposter." Mitsuki assumed.

"But how though?" Sarada asked as "Naruto" and Sakura stared at the Uchiha with equal levels of surprise.

"Sasuke? It wasn't that bad. Don't you think you're going a little overboard?" Sakura took a step back in surprise at how vicious Sasuke was being.

"She of all people talking about going overboard on someone?" Boruto snickered as Sarada sighed, not willing to disagree remembering all the times she saw her mother smack Naruto silly over the course of all of the memories they had seen so far.

"Yeah, what the heck was that all about?" "Naruto" glared at Sasuke who gave him no time to recover as he was on him like cheese on macaroni as he followed him with a flurry of punches and kicks.

"You better watch out, Sakura, I think he's gone crazy!" "Naruto" yelled out to Sakura in a request for a hope of help as Sakura actually looked compelled to help Naruto while Sasuke merely scoffed.

"Yeah, you wish. I just struck before you could!" Sasuke said, pulling out a kunai as "Naruto" did the same before the two clashed their blades several times with Sakura running to Sasuke's backside with "Naruto" getting a fair share of distance.

"Sasuke, what're you doing?" Sakura could only wonder what came over Sasuke as she was still oblivious to the fact that the Naruto that was standing before them was not the real one.

"Take a good look at him." Sasuke said as Sakura did just that as she was even more puzzled.

"What about him?" Boruto cocked an eyebrow, not realizing what Sasuke was getting at.

"Talk! What have you done with Naruto?" Sasuke demanded.

"What do you mean? I am Naruto!" The imposter grew shook that Sasuke was on to him.

"Then where's the cut on your cheek?" Sasuke stated more than asked as everyone's eyes widened in realization before Sasuke continued.

"I guess you didn't know the real Naruto got a cut on his face before the exam. You also have your shuriken holster on your left leg, not your right. But the real Naruto is right-handed. Your transformation skill is even worse than Naruto. Tell me who you are!" Sasuke finished off his analysis of the imposter's follies before demanding to know Naruto's location, ready to shove his kunai within the imposter's throat.

"….I didn't even notice that…" Boruto blinked as he looked to his teammates.

"Me neither. Way to come through dad?" Sarada hesitatingly complimented her dad. Not that he could hear it anyways.

"Guess that goes to show just how resourceful Master Sasuke is." Mitsuki mused as the imposter finally dropped the ruse, revealing his true self.

"Alright, you got me. So what? I'm still gonna take your scroll! Now hand it over or else. Now which one of you has it?" The ninja ordered Sasuke and Sakura as they were nothing short of unwilling to comply with his terms.

"Hmph, fine then. I'll just have to take you both out!" The ninja charged both Sasuke and Sakura as Sasuke jumped to the sky, readying a fire style jutsu.

"Fire Style-Pheonix Flower Jutsu!" Sasuke yelled, spitting out several balls of flame which the ninja was able to evade before they clashed kunai against kunai with Naruto finally reaching where his friends were.

"Hey! Get me outta here!" Naruto wiggled around as Sakura looked relieved while Sasuke grit his teeth in frustration.

"Tch! Little idiot!" Sasuke growled before throwing a kunai in Naruto's direction, freeing him from his ropes.

"Thank you!" Naruto gratefully smiled, ready to get himself into the game as the ninja tried getting away.

"Better get your mind in the game!" The ninja threw several kunai and paper bombs in Sasuke's direction.

"A paper bomb?" Sasuke asked as he narrowly got away from the explosions before feeling something metallic inches from his throat.

"Sorry, this is one test you fail. Now hand over the scroll and you die." The ninja threatened.

"Sasuke!" Sakura yelled in panic as he merely smirked, noticing the ongoing kunai headed in his direction.

"Oh no you don't!" As the kunai was revealed to have come from none other than Naruto as Sasuke threw the kunai in the ninja's direction.

This was merely a distraction as Sasuke slammed his kunai dead into the mysterious ninja's chest, making blood spray out.

"Are you alright!?" Sakura asked, not sure if the blood was from Sasuke or not.

"Don't just stand there, Sakura! Chances are this guy's not alone. Watch out! The others could strike any second now!" Sasuke yelled before the man freed himself from the kunai lodged in his chest, cradling his bleeding wound.

"I wish….I came along so as to not arouse suspicion….big mistake." The ninja said before high-tailing it out of the area.

"Hey! He's getting away!" Boruto yelled.

"Talk about the forest of death…." Sarada shook her head as Sasuke grit his teeth in frustration, no doubt upset that he had let the bastard flee away to fight another day.

With those thoughts in mind, Sasuke decided to gather his comrades to have a very important meeting.

"That proves that we can't just trust appearances. We have to come up with a way of knowing that each of us is who we say we are and not some imposter using a transformation jutsu." Sasuke announced to his teammates who seemed receptive at that idea.

"Yeah that sounds good." Sarada nodded in agreement.

"Especially with how dangerous this forest is, it would be in their best interest to be able to accurately identify their teammates." Mitsuki agreed.

"Alright so what do we do?" Sakura asked with Naruto nodding in agreement.

"We need a password." Sasuke said.

"What kind of password?" Naruto asked.

"A secret one. Something known only to the three of us. And don't trust anyone who doesn't know it, no matter what. Okay, listen closely, because I only want to say this once. The question will be, when does a ninja strike? And the response is, a ninja waits until the time is right, when the enemy sleeps and drops his guard, when his weapons lie forgotten in the stillness of the night. That is the moment for a ninja to strike. Got it?" Sasuke told to his teammates.

"….And that's one hell of a tongue twister…" Boruto muttered.

"It looks like mom's got it." Sarada said.

"But it doesn't look the same for Lord Seventh." Mitsuki chuckled.

"I've got it." Sakura smiled as Naruto's eyes were narrowed in confusion.

"…You…got one a little shorter?" Naruto blinked as Mitsuki chuckled, Sarada smiled sympathetically while Boruto rolled his eyes.

"No Naruto, that's it." Sasuke said, sharing Boruto's annoyance.

"Oh c'mon! What's wrong? Didn't you get it? I memorized it easy!" Sakura chastised her teammate who didn't like how everyone was turning on him.

"Yeah sure, I got it. No problem. I just thought it was going to be a password and not a pass speech." Naruto muttered.

"Alright then, I'll take the scroll." Sasuke stated as he stood up along with the others.

"Wait a second, Sasuke. I-" Naruto was about to say before something grazed his cheek.

"What was that?" Naruto and Boruto simultaneously asked before a large gust of wind flew threw the area sending Naruto skidding away from his teammates several miles away.

"Holy crap!" Boruto and Sarada simultaneously yelled.

"A new enemy?" Mitsuki asked.

"C'mon, let's go after him!" Boruto said as he ran to where his dad was, on his head looking dazed and worse for wear.

"Okay…upsy daisy…." Naruto muttered before he flew himself to being able to stand on his knees.

"Hey….where did Sasuke and Sakura go?" Naruto's eyes darted both left and right looking for both of his teammates, hoping they were okay from the huge blast that attacked them before hearing something slither his way before he found himself face to face with a ginormous snake.

"That's one huge snake!" Boruto yelled.

"Where did it come from!?" Sarada asked, just as disturbed as Mitsuki's eyes narrowed.

"So…it must be…" Mitsuki surmised.

"T-that's one big snake!" Naruto yelled, nearly frozen in fear as he tried getting away but the snake was very fast despite its huge size.

"I can't move!" Naruto yelled and before anyone knew anything, he was swiftly eaten by the huge reptile, much to everyone's horror.

"Dad/Lord Seventh!" Boruto and Sarada yelled as they noticed Naruto slowly slither down the throat of the snake before the snake started to leave.

"Hey! You can't just swallow a guy and leave!" Boruto and Sarada yelled, completely in disbelief that Naruto was actually eaten.

"I…..just can't believe that happened…..dad….was actually eaten…." Boruto couldn't believe what he had just seen.

"If I didn't know he was your dad later in time, I'd say he was completely toast." Sarada sighed.

"Let's go after him!" Mitsuki said as the group all left to go after Naruto and the snake before they noticed that the snake was stopping, no doubt ready to chill.

However before the group of teens noticed anything, they noticed the snake started to slowly blow up and expand like a balloon.

"What's going on?" Sarada asked before the cry of "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" indirectly answered her question before the snake expanded, sending blood and snake guts flying all over the forest.

"Gross!" Sarada cringed in disgust.

"At least he's alive!" Boruto pointed at his dad, happy he came out of the whole experience relatively fine.

"Sorry but you picked the wrong shinobi. I'm gonna be the Hokage one day. If you think I'm gonna end up a pile of snake crap in the woods, you're crazy!" Naruto sighed in relief, thankful he had his Shadow Clones to use as impact.

"Can you just imagine how bad he smells though?" Sarada wrinkled her nose.

"Well it'd be better smelling like snake guts than ending up as snake stool in a couple of weeks, right?" Mitsuki joked.

"No arguing with that." Boruto snickered before he got serious.

"But still that snake…where did it come from?" Boruto asked as Mitsuki decided to speak what was on his mind.

"It might be…..Orochimaru…." Mitsuki surmised as his teammates stared at him in shock.

"Orochimaru!?" Boruto and Sarada yelled in dismay.

"It….would explain the snake." Mitsuki crossed his arms as Boruto and Sarada stared at Mitsuki before looking at each other.

"Then again, from what dad told me when I went back in time, that Orochimaru guy was a big villain back in the day…." Boruto recounted the conversation he and Naruto had back at Ichiraku after a long day of training.

"And even though so much time's passed, I still remembered an awkward air when both Lord Seventh and Papa were in the same room with him…." Sarada added on, remembering the dynamic between the men during the Shin incident.

"We should probably hurry then." Mitsuki said to his teammates.

"Right!" Boruto and Sarada nodded.

As the team followed Naruto to where he hoped his teammates were, they noticed a dead snake was lying from a tree with blood oozing from its mouth.

"That's another dead snake but where's dad and Uncle Sasuke?" Boruto asked.

"Over there!" Mitsuki pointed seeing Sasuke and Sakura panting in both exhaustion and….fear?

"Dad and Mom really look spooked…." Sarada frowned in concern for her parents.

"Can you blame them….they were attacked by one of the Legendary Sannin….something that no genin would be prepared for." Mitsuki pointed out.

"I sense your fear and desperation….it's only natural…the prey must never let down its guard, not even for a moment in the presence of its predator…." A voice appeared from the snake as it was revealed to be the grass ninja from earlier.

"Wait, it's that ninja from earlier!" Naruto exclaimed.

"I thought Orochimaru was supposed to be here?" Boruto quirked an eyebrow.

"It must be a jutsu then!" Sarada pointed out as the woman extended her limbs like rubber across the tree that Sasuke was stepping on and was about to gut Sasuke before a pair on ninja weapons literally blocked his path.

"Thank god." Sarada sighed in relief as everyone looked to see the source of the weapons fall was from none other than the Leaf's Number One Hyperactive Knucklehead Ninja.

"Looks like I came just in time!" Naruto smirked as he looked at his teammates with his arms crossed.

"Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed in glee as even Sasuke looked relieved while the Orochimaru stared at Naruto with slight curiousity and intrigue.

"Oh and by the way, what was the password again?" Naruto asked.

"Talk about an entrance." Boruto mused good-naturedly.

"Forget it, I know it's you. You made it." Sakura couldn't believe how goofy her teammate was being in a chaotic time like this as Naruto merely chuckled at Sakura's irritancy at his behavior.

"Naruto, get out of here! What're you thinking? You don't know what you're up against! Hurry! Go now, while you can!" Sasuke yelled to his friend, not sharing Naruto's amusement as Orochimaru chuckled at Naruto's impudence.

"So Naruto, you managed to escape from my friend. Well done." Orochimaru praised the orange clad genin as Sasuke grit his teeth as Naruto clearly had no idea of what he was up against.

"Okay, Okay, I don't know what's going on here but you've been picking on my friends and I don't like that. So you'd just better slither on back into your hole Snake Lady before I make a pair of shoes outta you!" Naruto threatened Orochimaru who actually looked amused while Sakura and Sasuke looked as if they thought Naruto was even more insane if that was even possible.

Sasuke looked deep in thought before making a surprising decision.

"You can have it…" Sasuke stated, deactivating his Sharingan.

"Wait, what!?" Sarada asked, not believing that her dad was throwing in the towel that it seemed.

"He can't be giving up…right? No….he has to have some secret agenda!" Boruto commented, just as much in disbelief.

"The scroll, right? That's what you want? Alright, then. Take it and leave us in peace." Sasuke offered his team's scroll to the rogue ninja much to his teammates' disbelief.

"Huh!? Sasuke! Are you crazy or what!? We're gonna to just hand the scroll over to the enemy? No way! What's wrong with you?" Naruto commented in disbelief in how cowardly Sasuke was being.

"Shut up and stay out of it!" Sasuke spat.

"It's not just an agenda…he's just gonna give it up?" Sarada asked, not believing in how her father was acting.

"Given their current skill level, if they tried to fight Orochimaru, they would no doubt have a date with death." Mitsuki said.

"Very wise, very sensible. Sometimes the helpless prey, if they are to save their own skins, realize that their only hope is to distract the predator with something even more precious." Orochimaru mused at how Sasuke was being.

"Take it." Sasuke spat, throwing the scroll to the undercover Sound Ninja as he held out his arm before Naruto quickly snatched it, much to the amazement of everyone watching.

"What's he doing?" Sarada asked as Sasuke grit his teeth in frustration with how hard-headed Naruto was being.

"Stop playing the damn hero! Just stay out of this and leave it to me!" Sasuke yelled in indignation to Naruto who rolled around before he clocked Sasuke dead in the face much to the shock of everyone watching.

"What the hell!?" Sarada asked as Boruto and Mitsuki were silent, already understanding why Naruto did what he did as Sakura gasped while Orochimaru quietly watched these proceedings.

"Stupid fool! You don't know what you're doing!" Sasuke gave Naruto a deadly glare as Naruto huffed and puffed before returning Sasuke's death glare.

"I may not know the password but I know who I am. You're the one I'm not so sure about. How do we know who you say you are?" Naruto pointed an accusing finger at Sasuke.

"Huh? It's him, don't be so stupid!" Sakura reminded her teammate as Sasuke looked ready to rip his hair out in frustration.

"What sort of nonsense is this!? It's me you loser!" Sasuke spat as Naruto remained unfazed with his teammates' attitude.

"What is he talking about?" Sarada asked.

"After everyone we've seen in these memories so far, do you really need to ask?" Boruto asked.

"Liar….Liar! You may look like him….you may sound just like him but there's no way you're the Sasuke I know! I don't care how tough a fight you've been through-surrendering, giving up the scroll, when did Sasuke become such a coward!? You keep saying I don't understand what's going on but I do! You've choked, that's what it is!" Naruto spat.

"…I see now…." Was all that Sarada could say while Sasuke and Sakura had no idea on what to say.

Orochimaru decided to finally end all of this bravado so the fight could start again.

"Sad but true. It doesn't matter. As far as the scroll goes, I could simply kill you and take it!" Orochimaru said, lifting his sleeve before biting his thumb, drawing blood and applying it to his palm as this was enough incentive to get Naruto charging.

"Oh let's see you try it!" Naruto roared, charging the rogue Sannin with a Kunai.

"That idiot!" Boruto yelled.

"Don't! Naruto! No!" Sasuke yelled as Naruto lunged at Orochimaru, ignoring Sasuke's protests.

"Summoning Jutsu!" Orochimaru said before another huge snake appeared from a huge gust of wind, sending Naruto flying back to a nearby log.

"Hehe, what a tasty little meal, you'll make for him. Careful, he likes to play with his food." Orochimaru looked down at Naruto with a combination of glee, curiosity and amusement.

"Okay I'm starting to get a little tired of all these snakes." Sarada muttered.

"Hey! Snakes are awesome!" Boruto said, offended with Sarada's snake bias.

As the huge snake knocked Naruto from the branch he was standing on, Naruto's eyes opened, revealing crimson orbs, turning the memory a light red.

"What's that?" Sarada asked.

"The Nine Tails' power!" Boruto and Mitsuki answered.

"Eat this!" Naruto tried stomping the snake away that knocked the orange clad ninja again who readied his fist for round two as he lunged at the humongous reptile as he hammered the monster with blow after blow.

"Look at him….he's gone nuts…." Sakura was in disbelief at what she was seeing as Naruto continued wailing on the creature.

"You don't say." Sarada was still a bit in disbelief at how Naruto was still a bit uncontrolling with his Nine Tails as Orochimaru's lips curled in an amused smirk as Naruto was sending skidding several yards back.

"That fire in his eyes, there's no mistaking it." Orochimaru noted in realization as Sasuke was just in disbelief as Sakura was.

"Whoa…is that Naruto?" Sasuke blinked in surprise as Orochimaru grinned in glee.

"Oh….things have gotten very interesting. Now then…let's see what you do, Sasuke." Orochimaru turned his eye to Sasuke before lunging at Sasuke with his huge snake.

"Dad!" Sarada's eyes widen in horror.

"Dad! Do something!" Boruto yelled as before anyone knew anything, Sasuke was spared from being flattened into a pancake by Naruto who managed to hold the snake back with lodging two kunai into its skull, killing the poor animal.

"Thank god…." Sarada gasped.

"But man just how heavy is that snake…." Boruto muttered, wondering how much arm power it would take to restrain and hold back such a heavy reptile.

"Hey kid….you're not hurt…are you…." Naruto huffed before his crimson eyes met Sasuke's onyx ones.

"You scaredy cat!?" Naruto spat as time practically stopped between the two rivals as the memory flashed back to the land of waves mission.

"_Hey, you're not hurt are you? Scaredy Cat?" _Sasuke in the memory smirked at Naruto's cowardice before the memory returned back to the present.

"That time, huh…." Boruto said as Naruto glared at Sasuke who looked too frozen to speak.

"Standing there frozen like a frightened rabbit. No way, you're not the Sasuke I know!" Naruto spat with clear disdain in his voice, almost as if he was disappointed with the Uchiha Avenger.

"That….was blunt and harsh but…..in a way….he is…right…." Sarada admitted.

Before anyone knew anything, a long tongue slithered around Naruto's arms before hoisting the young boy up in the air to where he was in Orochimaru's level in the air as he stood atop the ginormous snake.

"Ugh! Disgusting! Put me down before I yank this tongue out of your head!" Naruto spat as he tried squirming out of Orochimaru's grip but to no avail.

"What the hell is he doing!?" Boruto yelled in anger as Orochimaru stared at the angered boy in amusement.

"I see….when your anger is aroused, some of the Nine Tailed Fox's chakra is released. What an interesting childhood you must have had….the spell that seals him within you has appeared on your skin…." Orochimaru mused as his five fingers emanated a purple glow as he lifted up Naruto's jacket, revealing the Nine Tails seal on Naruto's skin.

"Five-Pronged Seal!" Orochimaru yelled before slamming his fingers on Naruto's flesh, making the boy scream out in pain.

"What the hell did that bastard do!?" Boruto demanded.

"He put a seal on him…" Mitsuki's eyes narrowed as his teammates turned to him in shock.

"What!?" Sarada asked as Naruto's eyes returned to its usual blue color, returning the colors of the memory back to normal before he lost consciousness.

"It was a seal to contain the Nine Tails' chakra." Mitsuki explained to his teammates not believing what they were seeing.

"Geez, just how powerful is this guy!?" Boruto asked as Sarada had another question in mind.

"If Lord Seventh lost consciousness, how can we see this?" Sarada pondered as Mitsuki decided to give a theory.

"Maybe a part of him was still conscious." Mitsuki surmised.

"Or…it could be the Nine Tails in him?" Boruto asked as Sakura's voice cut off their conversation from continuing.

"Sasuke! Hurry! Do something!" Sakura yelled to Sasuke who looked utterly and completely petrified.

"Why can't she do something?" Boruto asked.

"What can she honestly do?" Mitsuki asked before Naruto was suddenly flung away but not before Orochimaru stole Naruto's scroll.

"That bastard! He stole their scroll!" Boruto angrily yelled.

"Who cares about that!? Lord Seventh will die from a fall that big!" Sarada pointed out before Sakura was quick to save Naruto, embedding him in the tree behind him making Boruto and Sarada sigh in relief.

"Thank god." Sarada breathed grateful as Sakura turned to Sasuke.

"Sasuke! Do something!" Sakura yelled to her teammate who looked even more fearful as he realized just how outclassed he was in battle.

"Poor guy…..if Lord Seventh and his Nine Tails could do nothing…." Sarada frowned in concern as Sakura looked just as concerned before gritting her teeth.

"Okay, say what you like about Naruto; that he's a pest, that he gets in the way, that he's just a kid but at least he's doing something!" Sakura yelled.

"…I think that might be the first time I've heard Auntie Sakura actually stand up for dad against Uncle Sasuke." Boruto noted, slightly amused.

"I guess this is her seeing Lord Seventh in a new light." Sarada gave a small smile as Mitsuki noticed Sasuke clench his eyes tightly shut before closing them and looking up at the evening sun before he grit his teeth.

"No…no way!" Sasuke yelled before his eyes evolved into a two tomoe Sharingan.

"Guess he found his second wind." Mitsuki noted with a small smile as Orochimaru looked pleased at this turn of events.

"I knew it. It's finally happened. His Uchiha blood has come to a boil. I think I'll play with him a little a learn the full extent of his powers." Orochimaru donned a fighting stance as Sasuke pulled out a kunai before sticking it in his teeth.

Before anyone knew anything he got into a small Taijutsu scuffle with the Sannin.

"Man look at Uncle Sasuke go!" Boruto cheered as Sasuke shot a huge ball of fire at the criminal which he was able to evade.

"It's not enough though…" Sarada frowned as Sasuke was seemingly getting overwhelmed by Orochimaru. However, he failed to notice the bells at the bottom of his robes. This led to his downfall as Sasuke was able to restrain him with several long threads of wire before Sasuke let out a huge fire ball jutsu at the Orochimaru, seemingly destroying him.

"He did it!?" Sarada and Boruto exclaimed in joy and surprise.

"No….that was mere child's play to someone like Orochimaru…." Mitsuki's eyes narrowed as Sakura ran to Sasuke happily.

"Sasuke, you did it! You okay?" Sakura smiled though all she got in response were a bunch of exhausted breaths.

"Don't worry…it's all over…" Sakura bent over to where Sasuke was before Orochimaru finally decided to break the façade of being "dead" as he unraveled himself from the wire holding him with half of his real face exposed.

"Looks like he's finally decided to show himself…." Mitsuki noted as Boruto and Sarada cringed at the other face nearly ripped off.

"That's so creepy…" Boruto cringed with Sarada grunting in agreement.

Before Sasuke and Sakura knew anything, they suddenly found themselves paralyzed and unable to move.

"No…impossible…." Sasuke growled out, not believing his current predicament. Didn't they win?

"What the hell did that bastard do!?" Boruto yelled as Orochimaru chuckled at their expressions of dismay.

"Such mastery of the Sharingan at so young of an age. You're a true Uchiha after all. Yes….you'll do nicely." Orochimaru said as Sasuke grit his teeth.

"You are indeed his brother. If anyting, your eyes are even keener than Itachi's." Orochimaru stated as Sasuke's eyes widened in horror at the name.

"Itachi?" Sarada asked quietly to himself.

"Who are you!? What do you want!?" Sakura demanded in rage as Orochimaru laughed before taking the scroll in his hand and destroying it.

"My name is Orochimaru. But as to what I want, I will have to wait until we meet again which won't happen unless you finish this test. First you'll have to defeat the Hidden Sound Ninja who serve under me." Orochimaru practically ordered the two.

"I have no idea what you're talking about but if you're finished why don't you just beat it!? If we ever meet again, it'll be too soon!" Sakura spat in anger, hoping this creep would just leave her alone but Orochimaru merely laughed at her idle threat, dismissing her as a simple house fly.

"Oh? He and I will meet again." Orochimaru stated in amusement before stretching his neck like a snack. Before anyone knew anything he sunk his teeth into Sasuke's neck like a vampire, eliciting shock from everyone watching.

"What the hell!?" Boruto and Sarada yelled.

"So…it's that…." Mitsuki's eyes narrowed.

"What the hell did that bastard do to him!?" Boruto yelled as he ripped his fangs from Sasuke's neck, leaving two rivulets of blood with a bizarre insignia of three tomoe like marks appearing around his neck.

"What the hell is that!?" Sarada demanded as Boruto tensed, instantly being reminded of what it was that Momoshiki did to him. Mitsuki saw Boruto look at his hand but chose not to say anything.

Sasuke screamed in pain as tightly clenched his neck.

"You! What did you do to Sasuke!?" Sakura demanded, wishing she had the power to put this bastard down but knew she was utterly powerless.

"I just gave him a little parting gift. Very soon, Sasuke will seek me out. He'll desire my power. In the meantime, I enjoyed the demonstration of the powers you already possess." Orochimaru chuckled before he slipped underground.

"Hey! Get back here!" Boruto spat out as Sarada turned to her future father.

"Dad's of more issue here!" Sarada reminded her dad before she looked over his aching and trembling form.

"What the hell did that bastard do to him?" Boruto demanded as Sarada looked over her dad.

"From what I can tell, he was injected with several toxins and poisons. It makes his survival very low in percentage…..if I didn't know he'd survive…." Sarada's eyes narrowed.

"But like dad would ever go to someone like Orochimaru!" Sarada scoffed, laughing at the absolute absurdity of such a thought.

Boruto and Mitsuki shared a look at each other ebfore deciding not to say anything.

Sasuke cradled Sasuke's body as tears left her eyes.

"Sasuke….hold on! Please…." Sakura started to sob as Sasuke made no signs of getting better.

"Naruto! Please! We need you!" Sakura sobbed out hoping that Naruto would make some sign of reawakening. When he made no such effort, Sakura sobbed harder realizing she was all alone.

"I feel really bad…..it's all on her now…." Boruto frowned in sympathy.

"We all have to grow up sometime…." Mitsuki sighed as Sakura eventually got Naruto down from the tree he was on along with dragging Sasuke away to a safe location in an area with a small cave in it, hopefully being able to hide from opposing teams.

Sakura then placed a warm cloth on Sasuke's head as the color in his skin started to slowly return though he seemed to be running a fever with Naruto still out of it.

"At least dad looks somewhat better…." Sarada said.

"But I can't say the same for Auntie Sakura…" Boruto frowned at Sakura's state as she was slowly falling asleep and was only keeping herself awake through pure will.

"It would be quite disastrous if she fell asleep during the current circumstances. If she fell asleep, an opposing team could come and cut her head off." Mitsuki bluntly said as Sarada glared at Mitsuki for his morbid comment but she couldn't disagree with him.

And much to everyone's dismay she actually fell asleep. Though she quickly jolted awake almost as quickly as she fell asleep.

"I wonder what she dreamt about…" Sarada looked worried at her mother and how shaken she looked.

"It must've been something awful given how freaked she looks but at least her head is back in the game." Boruto noted before the bush behind the Genin rustled.

"An enemy?" Mitsuki asked as Sakura gulped nervously as her hands twitched on the kunai blade she pulled from her pouch before slowly turning to the bush behind her as it revealed a squirrel carrying an acorn in its mouth.

The disappointment but relief was present on mother and daughter alike.

"A squirrel? Oh well at least it's not an enemy!" Boruto noted in relief.

"Oh man, don't surprise me like that, little guy." Sakura said before gasping and throwing the kunai in her hand at the small animal, making it scurry away in fear.

"What was that about?" Boruto asked, the sudden change surprising him.

"There must be more people in the area." Mituski surmised.

"You really think so?" Boruto cocked an eyebrow.

"That squirrel must've been some sort of decoy." Mitsuki said.

"That animal must've been some decoy for someone or some people….I can't just sit here twiddling my thumbs. I've got to have some sort of traps ready!" Sakura said as she walked around the area, not going too far from Naruto and Sasuke before finding a pair of grass, not familiar within the area before putting it down not that far from the exhausted team as Team Konohamaru watched with a raised eyebrow as she carried a rather large tree log which was no doubt tough to carry for someone as small as Sakura.

"Oh I see….she must be making a decoy trap of herself. Nice!" Boruto smirked as he watched Sakura use vines and wrappings on trees above to hide the huge plank of wood from plain view.

"That's my mom for you." Sarada smiled as Sakura was quick to look out from any potential eavesdroppers before nearly falling asleep again.

"Hmph. Some lookout. You're half-asleep." A deep voice announced making Sakura jolt awake as she turned to her side as she looked to see the three same sound ninja from the first exam across from her.

"Ah, damn it! These clowns again!?" Boruto groaned in frustration. Couldn't Team Seven catch a break?

"No rest for the weary." Mitsuki said, seemingly sensing Misuki's age.

"At least you don't have to keep watch anymore. What's the point after we've already found you? Now wake Sasuke up. We want to fight him." The ninja resembling a mummy smirked under his mask.

"He's not even up, dumbasses!" Boruto spat.

"How disgraceful. Not even playing fair and waiting until he's back at 100 percent…" Sarada frowned in anger.

"Who says these ninja have to play fair?" Mitsuki asked.

"What do you want here!? I mean what do you really want? I know Orochimaru was calling the shots from the shadows! What's that strange bruise on the back of Sasuke's neck!? You're behind this too, aren't you? And now you want to fight him when he can't defend himself!?" Sarada spat as the mention of the three sound ninja's master made them all lose the cool edge they had on just seconds ago.

"I can't stay quiet after hearing you talk to us like that. First I'm going to kill this girl and then I'm going to kill Sasuke." The sound ninja with black hair smirked.

"What!?" Sarada growled in anger.

"Wait, Zaku." The mummy lookalike said to his teammate.

"What, why?" Zaku asked, making no effort to hide the annoyance at his idea getting shafted.

"This is the color of dirt that's recently been dug up. And this kind of grass doesn't grow in a place like this. You know, if you're going to lay a trap, there's no point unless you make sure it's actually hidden." The mummy said in a mock-disappointment voice. Though Sakura didn't look too worried.

"Hmph, you're just a joke. You threw your kunai knife so that squirrel wouldn't spring the trap you set, huh?" Zaku smirked as the mummy cocked his head back.

"Now we take you out!" Zaku said as the three lunged at Sakura who smirked before using a kunai to cut the wrap, springing the real trap she had places.

"A log!? She also laid a trap above?" The mummy's eye widened before she smirked.

"Nice try, little girl." The mummy applied chakra to the amplifier around his wrist before the log burst into little pieces.

"What the hell was that!?" Boruto asked in dismay.

"Now what!?" Sarada looked around, hoping her mother had another trap, a backup one, in case her previous plan backfired.

"Clearly you have no talent as a ninja. Someone like you needs to make a little more of an effort, don't you think!?" Dosu grinned, ready to end Sakura's life before a familiar voice rang out in the distance.

"LEAF HURRICANE!" The voice of the energetic Rock Lee rang through the air as all three sound ninja were kicked square away, hitting the ground.

"W-what's he doing?" Sakura blinked, not expecting Lee to literally fall from the sky below.

"Looks like you need to make more of an effort." Lee smirked as Dosu's eye narrowed under his bandages.

"Who are you!?" Dosu asked, not happy being interrupted.

"I am the handsome devil of the Hidden Leaf Village. My name is Rock Lee." Lee smirked as Team Konohamaru could feel a sense of relief.

"Finally, someone good has arrived!" Boruto smiled, happy that Sakura was saved.

"I wonder where he came from and I wonder where Masters Neji and Tenten are." Mitsuki mused.

"Who knows and who cares? At least mom's safe." Sarada sighed in relief.

"W-what are you doing here, Lee?" Sakura asked the protégé of Might Guy, obviously not expecting him to literally fall from the heavens.

"I will always appear, anytime and anywhere that you are in trouble, Sakura." Lee acknowledged Sakura, not taking his eyes off of Sakura's enemies before gently putting the squirrel that was on his shoulder on the ground below.

"This was really all thanks to you, little one but now it is time for you to run along." Lee patted the squirrel who ran along.

"I see. That squirrel was what led Uncle Lee to everyone." Boruto smiled in gratitude.

"…But right now on this test, I'm your enemy." Sakura looked down, slightly feeling a bit awkward, given the circumstances.

"Sakura, I already told you, I will protect you until I die." Lee simply told Sakura as Sakura looked down, no doubt feeling a degree of guilt on how rude she was to Lee when she first met him.

"T-thank you, Rock Lee…" Sakura thanked Lee with a small smile while the sound ninja looked uninterested in these proceedings.

"It looks like I have no choice. Zaku, I'll let you have, Sasuke. I'll take care of these two." The mummy said, throwing their scroll to Zaku as he unfurled his amplifier.

"That guy with the bushy eyebrows is pretty good at Taijutsu. It looks like I get to have some fun!" Dosu announced as he lunged at the two as Sakura threw a kunai at the enemy who dodged it with ease before Lee casually pulled part of the ground above.

"I am positive there is some kind of trick to your attack. Therefore, I will not waste my time trying to dodge it. After all, I have seen your jutsu before. Therefore I have to take a chance, one at a time. I will attack each of them with all my might!" Lee's eyes narrowed before he unfurled his bandages.

"I'm real pumped to see what Uncle Lee can do!" Boruto pumped his fist.

"Ditto!" Sarada agreed with Mitsuki nodding in agreement.

"To protect the life of someone precious!" Lee donned a stance before vanishing as soon as the mummy appeared where he was.

"Did he disappear!?" The mummy tried scanning for any sign of Rock Lee before he suddenly found himself ejected into the air.

"Not yet!" Lee said before the bandages wrapped around the mummy like a cocoon as Lee grabbed the sound ninja in a tight bear-like hug as the two suddenly fell down like a missile.

"Oh no, Dosu. There's no way he can break his fall!" Zaku grit his teeth as the two were soon about to descend on the ground below.

"Take this! Primary Lotus!" Lee yelled, about to complete his jutsu.

"Go Lee!" Boruto cheered.

"Take him down!" Sarada joined her friend in cheering before Zaku was able to use a jutsu to cushion the blow, saving Dosu at the last second as Lee jumped away in the nick of time.

"What the hell was that?" Boruto asked, no doubt disappointed this bastard had to ruin things.

"Hmph, got you just in time. That impact could've been much worse for you." Zaku smirked.

"What did he do?" Sarada asked as Dosu was able to wedge himself from the ground below.

"What!? This cannot be!" Lee remarked just as perplexed as Boruto and Sarada was.

"That is a frightening jutsu. It nearly took me out even though I landed on this soft dirt." Dosu mused getting up before lifting up his sleeve.

"Now, it's my turn." Dosu said as Lee was huffing and puffing out of clear exhaustion.

"Hey, what's wrong with him?" Boruto asked in concern.

"It looks like that jutsu takes a lot out of him…" Mitsuki surmised as Lee could barely dodge an incoming attack from Dosu before Lee's body started to shiver as if he was in a tundra.

"Your jutsu is indeed fast but ours is even faster because it travels at the speed of sound." Dosu explained as Lee actually fell to one knee.

"Uncle Lee/Lee-Sensei!" Boruto and Sarada yelled respectively.

"Now watch, we're going to show you something called the wall," Dosu cocked his head back as Lee looked as if he was about to empty all of the contents of his stomach at that exact moment.

"Lee! What's wrong!?" Sakura asked, alarmed at the sudden change of pace. Wasn't Lee owning this fight a second ago?

And before anyone knew anything, Lee's left ear started to slowly leak blood.

"What the hell is going on here!?" Boruto asked, perplexed as Lee cradled his now injured ear.

"M-my ear…." Lee muttered.

"Oh, I forgot to mention this little gadget that I wear. You might be able to dodge my blows but you can't get away from it." Dosu explained, gesturing to the amplifier on his wrist as the Sound Trio all chuckled.

"I don't need to strike you with my fists. I can hit you with the power of sound." Dosu added on much to the intrigue of everyone watching.

"Sound?" Sarada asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's that haxed?" Boruto could hardly believe his ears.

"What makes it possible for the ear to hear things? What is sound, really?" Dosu asked, almost rhetorically.

"Vibrations….." Sakura said in a voice of realization.

"Give the little lady a prize. Yes, the vibration of molecules in the air creates a sound wave. These vibrations are collected by the ear then directed to your eardrum. The human eardrum, the tympanic membrane ruptures when exposed to sound levels in excess of 150 decibels. Moreover, if the sound is powerful enough to upset the fluid within the deepest inner ear canals, it becomes impossible for you to maintain your balance. Feeling a little dizzy? Nauseous? That's right, it's best if you don't even try to stand up for a while." Dosu smirked as his teammates decided to add in their own two cents.

"You see buddy that old-fashioned Taijutsu stuff won't work against us. Not that you're not pretty good at it. If it's just that then what's the point? Compared to our jutsu, that stuff's totally yesterday's news. See, I can manipulate ultrasonic waves and air pressure. I can do things you've never even dreamed of. I can obliterate boulders or make the ground itself soft as a feather cushion. Face it, little man. You're up against the jutsu of the future." Zaku smirked with air coming out of his hands.

"This guy just loves to hear himself talk." Sarada rolled her eyes.

"I guess this is where the inspiration for the ninja tools came from…" Mitsuki noted.

"Huh….jutsu of the future? I guess you're right…" Boruto said in remembrance at how advantageous the ninja tools were for him.

"Now you're next!" Dosu said as he ignored Lee and charged straight at Sakura.

"That bastard! He's going after her with her defense down!" Boruto yelled in anger.

"Someone! Do something!" Sarada yelled as she knew how much of a mismatch Dosu versus Sakura was.

However as Sakura pulled out a kunai to defend herself, Lee dashed in front of her.

"Leaf Hurricane!" Lee tried swiping Dosu away but he wasn't as fast as before, something that Dosu instantly took note of.

"Not quite as effective as it was before, is it? Still, it's impressive that you can move at all. We'll have to do something about that. Do you hear that?" Dosu asked, taking Lee's mind off the game before he literally put his amplifier over his had before turning his amplifier up to full capacity.

"Uncle Lee!" Boruto yelled in anger and horror as Lee tried his best to block out the sound with his arm but to no avail.

"This device amplifies the vibrations of the impact, transforming them into a wave of sound. A sound wave I can channel with my chakra, focusing all its energy on any target I desire." Dosu practically bragged as the sound literally went in one of Lee's ears and out the other as he screamed in agony.

"Stop it!" Sakura yelled before Lee finally collapsed to the ground defeat.

"Alright, little man. Time to end it." Dosu raised his hand over Lee, ready to end things as Sakura took the initiative to pull out weapons.

"That's what you think!" Sakura yelled as she threw a handful of kunai and shuriken which Dosu easily dodged with a simple raise of his amplifier.

"Huh…I'd almost forgotten you…." Dosu's visible eye narrowed.

"Oh man…..how is she gonna get out of this?" Boruto looked around, hoping someone could help.

"Yeah…" Sarada agreed as this girl and her mother were vastly different.

"Catch these!" Sakura yelled as she threw more Shuriken at Dosu, not willing to accept defeat which Zaku was able to blast away with little to no effort.

Before Sakura knew anything she suddenly felt her hair being tugged as she was restrained by Kin, systematically showing her defeat.

"Okay that's a low blow right there!" Sarada yelled, hating that someone would try such an underhanded move.

"I know, these guys play dirty…" Boruto shook his head in disapproval.

"We're ninja so it's not like we're under oath of being under a set of right and fairness." Mitsuki said as Boruto and Sarada couldn't argue that.

"My, my, what soft and shiny hair but you know what? If you spent a little less time shampooing and a little more time practicing your jutsu, you might not be in this fix." Kin patronized the pinkette.

"Well….she's no wrong…..she spent most of her time fawning over dad rather that actually train and better herself…" Sarada looked down as her teammates chose not to comment as Kin turned to her teammates.

"Hey Zaku, I know what'd be fun. Let's make Miss Beauty Queen watch while you finish off that Sasuke guy?" Kin mockingly suggested, holding Sakura's hair tighter.

"Sounds like fun." Zaku cocked his head back, obviously on board with that idea.

"Don't you dare…." Sakura growled before Kin jerked her head back.

"Don't even." Kin warned as Sakura started to tear up no doubt realizing that Kin was right in that she was a sorry excuse for a ninja….how she is….

Sakura then growled before pulling out another kunai as Kin was close to laughing at the poor girl.

"It's pointless. That won't work on me." Kin snickered as Sakura turned to her with a fierce smirk.

"It's not meant for you." Sakura smirked before cutting the hair, Kin was using to restrain her.

"What….just….happened?" Boruto blinked as it looked as if the forehead protector Sakura once wore was slowly falling to the ground in almost slow motion….

"It's almost….symbolic…." Mitsuki observed as Sarada gasped as she seemed to be the only one who was understanding what was happening.

"This must be it….the moment where she's turning into the mom we know now!" Sarada gasped happily as Boruto and Mitsuki turned to her quizzically.

"You really think so?" Boruto asked as Sarada's smile widened.

"I know so." Sarada smiled as Sakura readied her hands for a sign.

"Kin! Finish her!" Zaku growled, tired of this "game" before Sakura suddenly found herself impaled through the back but before anyone could say anything, "Sakura" poofed away.

"A substitution jutsu!?" Kin gasped, not expecting that the person she practically held captive a minute ago was now starting to turn the tables?

"Way to go, mom!" Sarada cheered as Zaku scanned the entire field for any sign of Sakura before she threw another handful of ninja weapons at Zaku.

"Hmph, pathetic! Thanks for the present. Hope you don't mind if I return it!" Zaku yelled, about to repel the metallic weapons before Sakura readied a hand sign as Zaku sent the weapons flying to Sakura who was revealed to be yet another substitution item.

"What a surprise. Okay, where are you now?" Zaku said as he noticed a flurry of pink hair above him.

Curiously, Sarada activated her Sharingan.

"Hey! That's no clone! It's pure legit this time!" Sarada was quick to point out worriedly as she noticed Zaku fish in his back pocket.

"Hmph, you really wanna keep playing this? Because I got news for you…I'm not falling for it! But if you insist!" Zaku yelled, throwing kunai at what he thought was another substitution log.

"Watch out!" Sarada yelled before Sakura took the impact of the weapons head on.

"Oh damn!" Boruto cringed as he could only imagine how much pain Sakura was.

"Okay so where you hiding next?" Zaku demanded before blood fell from up above, answering his question as he realized this was the real Sakura.

"Got him." Mitsuki smiled, impressed with Sakura as she impaled Zaku's right arm, pinning him to the ground below.

"Way to go, Auntie Sakura!" Boruto pumped his fist as he jumped in the air, no doubt amazed at the development his honorary auntie has received.

Before anyone knew anything, Sakura actually bit Zaku's left arm, surprising everyone, none more than Zaku.

"What're you crazy!? Get off me!" Zaku yelled, no doubt pissed at how the tables turned from his favor before he started to slowly wail on the pinkette.

Team Mitsuki were no doubt disgusted at what they were seeing….

"Those bastards…" Boruto clenched his teeth.

But none were more irate than Sakura.

"That bastard! Get away from her!" Sarada yelled, about to stomp over to where Zaku was and save her mother before Boruto held her back.

"Remember….we can't do anything…." Boruto reminded her as Sarada huffed.

"But c'mon! She can't fall here! She does survive after all…" Sarada turned her head as Sakura was finally smacked off of Zaku.

"Now you're gonna pay…" Zaku raised his hand, about to blast Sakura to oblivion before Team Ten suddenly appeared.

"Hey it's them!" Boruto pointed at their backs as Sarada sighed in relief.

"Finally…" Sarada sighed in relief that she didn't have watch her mother's face being bashed in anymore.

"So what's this, the second fiddle?" Zaku jeered at Team Ten as they glared at them.

"Ino…" Sakura blinked, in surprise that her rival either saved her or that she saw her in such a bad state.

"Surprised? I said I'd never let you show me up, didn't I?" Ino didn't even turn to acknowledge Sakura.

"Ino….but why?" Sakura asked again, not believing that Ino of all people would save her as Ino merely huffed in response.

"I'm tired of you showing off in front of Sasuke and trying to get all of the credit." Ino smirked.

"Girls." Boruto rolled his eyes as Sarada smacked his head.

"Shut up!" Sarada scowled at Boruto.

"These Leaf Village worms will be sorry they squirmed their way into something that doesn't concern them." Dosu scanned all of Team Ten before he turned his eye onto Choji who winced as soon as their eyes met each other.

"Are you two crazy!? What're we doing here!? These guys're bad news man…" Choji tried crawling away only to Shikamaru to restrain him using his scarf.

"Don't look at me. It was Ino's idea. But what're we supposed to do? Just sit back and let a girl do all the fighting?" Shikamaru responded.

"He's got a point there." Mitsuki chuckled as Ino nervously chuckled, hoping that she didn't bite off more than she can chew.

"Sorry for dragging you both into this. But we are a three man squad, right? All for one and one for all?" Ino nervously smiled.

"Heh, yeah. What's meant to happen will happen." Shikamaru shook his head as Choji looked even less unenthusiastic to join in.

"This ain't teamwork! I call this suicide so let me outta here! Please lemme go!" Choji was practically begging his teammates as Shikamaru sighed at Choji's cowardice.

"You're getting on my nerves." Shikamaru glared at Choji though Zaku though this was funny.

"Better a live sheep than a dead lion, right fatso?" Zaku asked as Choji immediately stopped fidgeting as his back was turned to everyone present.

"Oh…." Sarada began.

"Crap…" Boruto blinked, already knowing the impending meltdown that was gonna come if Chocho's obsession with getting thin wasn't telling…

"….Did I just hear that right? What did that guy just say? You wanna try saying that again?" Choji asked as the whole battlefield went silent as if the atmosphere knew of Choji's impending meltdown as Shikamaru nervously sweated as Zaku merely scoffed, perceiving Choji as a weakling.

"I said that you're smart to get out of here while you still can, fatty!" Zaku glared at Choji, still not expecting anything until…..

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING FAT!? I'M JUST A LITTLE CHUBBY, OKAY!? CHUBBIES RULE!" Choji yelled as an almost yellowish aura fit for those of gods suddenly enveloped around him.

"….Guess…he's pumped…" Boruto blinked.

"Yep….like father like daughter." Sarada sighed remembering how Chocho reacted during the whole Tomaru incident as Sakura was wondering if these guys could actually save her life.

"Now this is personal! It's a fight to the eath between Leaf and Sound!" Choji declared to his teammates as Ino looked pleased while Shikamaru couldn't look anymore annoyed.

"Thanks a lot, now we gotta deal with him." Shikamaru shook his head at Zaku who scowled at him.

"Don't worry it won't be for long." Zaku scoffed while Ino decided to address Sakura again.

"Sakura, your teammates are down. Look after them." Ino reminded Sakura who smiled in gratitude.

"Okay, Team Ino, let's show them who's boss!" Ino said to her teammates as Choji and Shikamaru nodded.

"Got it!" Both boys agreed.

"Formation: Ino!" Ino started.

"Shika!" Shikamaru added.

"Cho!" Choji finished the Ino-Shika-Cho combination declaration.

"Can't wait to see the original trio!" Boruto smiled.

"You didn't see them fight in the past?" Mitsuki asked.

"No, when Urashiki invaded it was only me, Uncle Sasuke, Old Man Jiraiya and Dad against Urashiki." Boruto explained.

"Okay, take it away, Choji!" Ino said to Choji.

"My pleasure. Expansion Jutsu! Followed by Leaf Style Taijutsu!" Choji yelled before expanding into a giant ball.

"Human Boulder Jutsu!" Choji yelled as he rolled towards Zaku just as fast as a real boulder.

"Huh, maybe I'm supposed to laugh myself to death." Zaku growled as he tried pushing Choji back with his Slicing Sound Wave but surprisingly Choji held up well against Zaku before he jumped sky high into the air.

"Alright! He's gonna crush that guy like a bug!" Boruto cheered as Zaku actually looked troubled much to Dosu's dismay as he tried running to his teammate's aid.

"Oh no you don't, mummy man. Time to put you under wraps, Ninja Art Shadow Possession Jutsu!" Shikamaru said before Dosu found himself restrained with Shikamaru's Shadow Jutsu.

"Got him!" Sarada smiled as Dosu looked down in surprise.

"W-what's this?" Dosu asked before turning to Shikamaru.

"Just me and my shadow." Shikamaru grinned as Zaku was able to narrowly dodge Choji's attack as Kin looked at Dosu in surprise.

"What's wrong!? Why are you standing there like that?" Kin asked as Dosu found himself following Shikamaru's gestures.

"I-It's some kind of paralysis jutsu…" Dosu grunted in frustration as Shikamaru imitated a seagull, no doubt having some sort of fun with his jutsu.

"Ino, I'll leave the girl to you." Shikamaru said to Ino as she smirked.

"Okay, just take care of my body while I'm gone." Ino said before making a hand sign.

"Ninja Art: Mind Transfer Jutsu!" Ino said before her soul entered Kin's body.

At the exact same time, Zaku barely dodged another boulder run from Choji.

"Enough of this….Kin!" Zaku shouted out to his teammate as she looked down much to the concern of Zaku and Dosu.

"Party's over, fellas. Take it easy. One false move from either of you and your teammate here gets it in the neck." Ino as Kin smirked, holding a kunai to Kin's neck.

"Alright, got them!" Sarada laughed happily.

"All the need to do is drop their scroll and go!" Boruto smiling, happy that the fight was finally over.

Or….so they thought as Kin's teammates had a very….interesting reaction to say the least.

Right as Choji was about to railroad Zaku form his blindside, he sent both Choji and Ino flying away courtesy of a wave.

"What the hell? That's their teammate!" Boruto pointed out in shock.

"I…I…don't understand you guys…what kind of monster would attack their own teammate?" Ino asked with blood trailing down her lip as Zaku and Dosu merely chuckled at Ino's naiveté.

"I guess monsters like us." Zaku mused.

"You see, we don't play this game by your rules. It's not the scrolls we're after or even passing this test." Dosu cocked a head back much to the amazement of Team Ten.

"W-what the?" Ino asked as Dosu's visible eye widened.

"It's Sasuke." Dosu admitted as Shikamaru's jutsu chose that exact moment to break.

"So…your paralysis has a pretty limited duration, I see…" Dosu noted in amusement as Shikamaru grit his teeth at how quickly the tables seemingly turned.

"It's the Shadow Possession Jutsu, get your jutsus right." Shikamaru glared at Dosu.

"Whatever. And I see your teammate is able to slip her soul into her opponent. Very clever but dangerous. Anything that happens to Kin, happens to her, too. So if say…Kin were to die…" Dosu theorized much to the disgust of people both in and out of the memory.

"No concern for friendly fire I see…" Boruto scowled at Dosu.

"Not everyone is like us…" Mitsuki reminded his friend as Shikamaru shared Boruto's disgust.

"So what're you gonna do? Kill your teammate?" Shikamaru asked in disbelief at how callous someone could be to someone who was supposed to be his comrade, his friend even. How could anyone be so heartless?

"Well if push comes to shove yeah." Zaku smirked, holding a hand to a horrified Ino as Shikamaru and Choji could hardly believe their ears.

"Oh man what a drag." Shikamaru sighed in annoyance.

"Yeah no kidding…" Choji muttered as Zaku and Dosu took this time to basically brag.

"Did you really think you could beat us? Face it, you ninja are just a bunch of hacks." Zaku smirked as Dosu decided to add on.

"From a second rate village." Dosu was ready to end things.

"That's pretty tough talk!" An unexpected voice said from above as everyone looked to see none other than Neji and Tenten atop a tree from above.

"It's Uncle Neji and Auntie Tenten!" Boruto grinned, hopeful to see his uncle in action.

"Surprised they didn't get here sooner." Sarada noted.

"I guess that makes your village third rate. I wonder if any of you amateurs are ready to take on the real thing." Neji crossed his arms looking over the two sound ninja.

"It's Lee's team!" Sakura noted, definitely not expecting them but not surprised at the same time.

"Lee!" Tenten noticed her teammate's battered state.

"These Genin keep coming out of the woods like cockroaches…" Dosu growled, starting to get annoyed with all these Leaf kids coming out.

"It looks to me like someone used our teammate as a punching bag. Nobody does that and gets away with it!" Neji yelled in anger, activating his Byakugan.

"Whoa…I can literally feel the power from him…" Sarada shuddered feeling a tinge of pity for the sound ninja.

"Beat their asses! No complaints from me!" Boruto cheered.

"No playing around, Tenten. Full power." Neji said before noticing something as he deactivated his Byakugan.

"Well? Are you going to stand there all day or are you going to come down here and do something?" Dosu asked, ready to send this brat flying away with the power of sound before Neji closed his eyes with a small smile.

"Actually…it looks like things have been taken out of my hands…" Neji softly said as he looked to somewhere as everyone noticed literal purple chakra rising from the ground.

"W-what the hell is that?" Boruto asked as there was a lone figure standing in the purple dome wall of chakra.

"S-someone's in there!" Sarada noted as Mitsuki walked closer before his eyes widened.

"That's Master Sasuke." Mitsuki noted.

"H-huh?" Sarada blinked as Mitsuki was right as the purple aura started to slowly die down, revealing Sasuke covered in black markings all around his body.

"W-what the hell? Those marks…" Boruto was in disbelief at the state of his master.

Mitsuki was silent, remembering how it was when he first awakened his Sage Mode.

Though none were more speechless than Sarada.

"….D…dad?" Sarada was in disbelief at what she was seeing.

"W-what happened…." Was all Boruto could say.

"The curse mark has slowly taken over him…" Mitsuki explained as Boruto unconsciously checked his palm, looking at the diamond shaped mark left by Momoshiki.

"I wonder…" Boruto asked as Sarada was speechless in amazement and horror.

Eveyrone else in the memory was speechless at what they were seeing as they could practically feel the power emanating from Sasuke.

None more than Sakura…..no doubt knowing this was Orochimaru's doing.

"Sakura…who did that to you?" Was all Sasuke could say as Sakura could say nothing.

"Who was it?" Sasuke asked again, the impatience in his voice clearly showing.

"S-Sasuke, what's happened to you?" Sakura asked, not answering his question though Sasuke didn't seem too bothered as Sasuke observed all the markings around his body.

"Don't worry, I'm alright. It's only the power flowing through me. In fact I've never felt better….he gave me this gift and he made me understand who I am…I'm an avenger. To follow my path, I must have power at any price even if it means being consumed by evil." Sasuke tried reassuring Sakura who looked even more doubtful as Sarada felt her heart drop.

"D…dad….no…he'd never go to someone like him…he wouldn't…" Sarada said as Boruto was just as speechless, definitely not expecting to see this side of Sasuke while Mitsuki was silent.

"Sakura, tell me, which one of these people did this to you?" Sasuke asked, tired of messing around.

"That'd be me!" Zaku bragged as Sasuke turned his gaze to him.

"I hope he gives him hell for what he did to mom…" Sarada darkly commented as Dosu was definitely not agreeing with Zaku who looked eager to test Sasuke's power.

"Dosu, what's wrong? You're not getting cold feet are you?" Zaku snarled as Dosu turned to his teammate in what looked like actual concern.

"No! Zaku, you don't understand!" Dosu tried warning his teammate who looked unwavering in his decision.

"Watch this! I'll take care of the whole bunch of them in one swoop!" Zaku declared as Boruto face-palmed.

"Idiot!" Boruto face-palmed as Sarada and Mitsuki nodded whole-heartedly in agreement.

"Supersonic slicing wave!" Zaku yelled putting everything into his attack though no one except for Team Konohamaru saw Sasuke get Naruto and Sakura out of harm's way in the blink of an eye which made Dosu and Zaku's hearts stop as the dusk died down as Sasuke was relatively unharmed.

Taking advantage of their shocked expressions, Sasuke took the initiative to activate his own jutsu.

"Fire Style, Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" Sasuke yelled, spitting flames of fire at Zaku.

"I don't think so! Try this!" Zaku tried blasting them away not realizing what was hidden under them.

"Shuriken!" Sarada pointed out.

"Huh?" Boruto asked.

"There's Shuriken in the flames!" Sarada noted as Dosu also noticed.

"Zaku! Get down!" Dosu yelled to his teammate before he was pelted with the Shurikens and flames, opening all sorts of wounds on him.

Before he could process the pain he was in, he suddenly found himself pinned to the ground courtesy of Sasuke's feet as he held both of his arms.

"What's he doing?" Boruto asked as Sarada and Mitsuki had a disturbingly sick idea of what Sasuke was going to do.

"You see to be very proud of these arms of yours…You must be very…attached…to them…" Sasuke smirked, applying more pressure to Zaku's ars.

"D-dad, no…." Sarada felt tears prickle her eyes as she couldn't believe this….this….monster….was the kind and wise man that was her father.

Before anyone knew anything, the sound of Zaku's arms breaking filled the ears of everyone watching.

No one watched the scene straight-faced.

"Dad!" Sarada yelled, horrified at what her father was doing. Just what the hell did that snaky. Slimy Orochimaru do to him?

"Holy shit!" Boruto could hardly believe what he was seeing though his shock level was on a different level of shocked than Sarada was….a whole other level while Mitsuki was silent.

As Sasuke dropped Zaku like a sack of potatoes, he turned his gaze to Dosu.

"Looks like you're the only one left. I hope you make things more interesting than your friend did." Sasuke smirked, knowing full well there was a huge power gap between him and Dosu as he slowly walked to Dosu, fully intending on sending him to hell.

"Dad! You have to stop! This isn't you!" Sarada yelled as she ran to her father in an attempt to stop him only to phase right through him.

"Sarada! Remember, this is a memory!" Boruto reminded his teammate who looked down.

"Someone! Please stop him!" Sarada pleaded. Not that she cared for the sound ninja but she didn't want her father's innocence to be soiled with their foul blood.

"Sasuke!"

Everyone turned to see a crying Sakura run to Sasuke before embracing him.

"What's she doing? What if he turns on her!?" Boruto yelled in alarm as he turned to Sakura, his red iris eyes meeting her jade ones.

"Please….stop…" Sakura pleaded with her loved one and much to everyone's amazement, the marks started to slowly recede away until he was back to his original appearance as he fell to the ground as Sakura caught him.

"Sasuke…" Sakura said to Sasuke as he looked puzzled as to what happened.

"Thankfully…he's back…." Sarada exhaled.

"Thank you mom…" Sarada thanked her mother, grateful her father was back as Boruto was starting to have a clearer picture on what led to Sasuke possibly leaving the Leaf Village.

"Geez…that was…too much…" Boruto muttered as Dosu walked to the two.

"You're strong, Sasuke. Too strong….we can't hope to defeat you the way you are now. We'll strike a deal…I give you the scroll and you let us go…" Dosu wagered.

"Typically. They meet their just desserts and wanna leave when it gets to be overwhelming." Sarada scoffed.

"What a baby." Boruto rolled his eyes as Dosu scooped up his teammates.

"It would seem we underestimated you….but at least we found out what we needed to know…For the moment we're even but if it should ever happen that we ever meet again in combat, I promise we won't run away." Dosu threated the two awake members of Team Seven.

"What an asshole. Gets saved from getting killed only to basically spit in their faces." Boruto scowled as Sakura decided to ask the necessary questions.

"Wait! Who is this Orochimaru!? What's he done to Sasuke!? And why Sasuke!?" Sakura demanded, her anger taking over though Dosu was just as clueless as her.

"I don't know. All I know is that we were told to target Sasuke and we did." Dosu said and before anyone knew anyting the memory started to slowly morph and mutate.

"W-what's happening?" Boruto asked.

"That Orochimaru is back!?" Sarada asked in disbelief as she noticed Orochimaru standing over a beaten Naruto and Sakura with Sasuke nowhere in sight.

"No it can't. It's not his face." Mituski pointed as Orochimaru was still in his "grass ninja" disguise.

"Oh…so some kind of nightmare?" Boruto asked before the scene started to disappate and mutate into the forest where the previous fight was as Naruto was screaming his head off before noticing Orochimaru was nowhere in sight with a huge lump on his head.

"Guess he's back in the game." Boruto laughed.

"And it looks like he has Masters Shikamaru and Choji to thank for that." Mitsuki chuckled as Naruto blinked several times, feeling slightly disoriented and light-headed due to being out of it for a small while before utter realization hit his face.

"The grass ninja! Everybody! Quick! Get down!" Naruto yelled as everyone stared at Naruto like he was even crazier than he origjnally thought before a tag on his head from a nearby stick got him back to reality, courtesy of Choji as Shikamaru sighed.

"You really are one of a kind. And I mean you're the kind that gets on my nerves." Shikamaru shook his head at Naruto who grunted, not appreciating this treatment as Naruto noticed the lack of long hair on Sakura.

"O-oh no! Sakura! What happened!? I mean something serious happened to your hair!" Naruto panicked, running to where his teammates were as Sakura blinked as she struggled to explain what happened.

"Oh…I just wanted to change my look….I like it better long but when I'm out in the wilderness like this and I'm moving around all the times, it gets in the way too much…" Sakura "explained" as Naruto seemed relatively satisfied with Sakura's answer.

"That's….one way to describe what happened…" Sarada sighed, a flashback of Sasuke's one-sided fight against the Sound Ninja playing in her mind as Boruto and Mitsuki turned to their teammate in concern, already knowing what she was thinking about.

"Hey….you okay, Sarada?" Boruto asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah we are here for you. You know that, right?" Mitsuki asked as Sarada sighed before turning to her friends.

"Thanks guys…..it was just too much seeing dad be so vicious…" Sarada admitted as Boruto nodded.

"Believe me, I know what it's like….seeing someone you admire be so vicious and outta control…" Boruto said, remembering how his father unintentionally hurt him when he was possessed by the Nine Tailed Fox.

"But you know something? I'm sad for nothing. There's no way my dad will go to some creep like him. He has too strong of a will!" Sarada smiled as Boruto and Mitsuki averted their eyes for the same reason.

"So what's your story? Why're you guys here in the first place? What's going on around here?" Naruto asked Shikamaru and Choji who came up behind him who sighed.

"Explaining everything to you is going to be such a pain." Shikamaru rolled his eyes, frustrating Naruto at him being left out of the loop.

"Everyone just showed up to help." Sakura said before Naruto noticed Lee who was fully awake and getting scolded for his recklessness by Tenten.

"Aha! I know you Bushy-Brow!" Naruto pointed and shouted at Lee, a little too tactlessly much to Sakura's chagrin.

"Hey! Knock it off! You better not say anything bad about Lee!" Sakura yelled, before sending Naruto sending mad yards away, making him even more out of the loop and confused.

"Glad things seem to be back to normal!" Mitsuki laughed as Sarada sighed.

"Mom, you can really be too much at times…" Sarada shook her head as Boruto sweated.

"So scary….." Boruto shuddered, remembering the times he saw Sakura smack Naruto in his trip to the past.

Sakura then exhaled before strolling over to Lee.

"Lee….thank you…because of you, I was able to stand up for myself and I've become a little stronger." Sakura smiled before bowing to him, making Lee tear up at how it seemed that she had finally accepted him.

"Well she is right. It seems like he's putting her on the path to the woman she is now." Sarada smiled.

"Thank you Sakura…but I guess my efforts alone were not good enough." Lee wiped his eyes before turning to Sasuke, "So Sasuke, I guess the rumors about you were true. As expected of the Uchiha Clan but unlike me…I merely got beaten up…" Lee looked down sadly as Sasuke looked confused and lost.

"At least it seems like he doesn't remember…." Sarada noted.

"That's good for his mental sake…" Boruto sighed as Lee turned to Sakura with a smile.

"Sakura, the lotus of the leaf will always bloom twice. I promise to always protect!" Lee vowed with everyone smiling at Lee before the memory suddenly shifted to the middle of the forest.

"Where are we now?" Sarada asked.

"Over there!" Boruto pointed as he noticed a figure only to see Naruto clad in just his underwear before diving into the river below.

Upon doing a bit of swimming, Naruto threw out of the water three fishes which Sasuke promptly pinned to a tree with kunai.

"C'mon, is that it? I only got three now go and do it again. I could eat three fish myself." Sasuke scoffed, much to Naruto's irritation as he grit his teeth.

"Well if you think it's so easy, why don't you get wet and I'll stand on the shore!" Naruto spat as Sakura got Sasuke's attention.

"Sasuke! The fire's ready to light so I could use one of your fireballs?" Sakura asked as Sasuke sighed, getting tired of everyone asking him for favors.

"I've got to do everything around here." Sasuke muttered, offending Naruto even more.

"You do huh!? What have I been doing!?" Naruto yelled, getting even more annoyed that no one was paying him any attention.

"At least they're getting back to normal." Boruto mused.

"After what happened earlier, they need it." Sarada muttered as Naruto managed to get more fish before making his way back to his team as he immediately noticed the tense atmosphere in the air.

"What's wrong, guys?" Naruto asked, sitting down by his teammates as Sakura shot him a look of utter disbelief at Naruto's ridiculous question.

"What do you mean 'what's wrong, guys'? Haven't you paid attention to what's been happening?" Sakura asked as she didn't want to be too rude or nasty to Naruto.

"It's already been four days since the second exam began…" Sasuke said, looking at the ground, not even bothering to hide the stress in his face.

"Four days already!? That means they have a day left!" Boruto pointed out, not believing so much time had passed.

"Half a day given how late in the day it looks…." Mitsuki added as Sakura looked down.

"That's right…." Sakura admitted in shame.

"We're sure not going to break any records. And we only have twenty four hours left…" Sasuke noted.

"I wonder how many of the other teams have already got their scrolls and finished…." Sakura frowned while Naruto looked more interested in the fish being done which it was finally finished being cooked with everyone chowing down eagerly.

Or rather Naruto did while Sasuke and Sakura were too stressed to eat.

"We have to face it…there may not be any more heaven scrolls left…" Sakura looked down as Sasuke stared at her.

"Well that's a cheerful thought." Sasuke stated, not believing she was seemingly willing to throw in the towel. She couldn't be serious, could she?

"Maybe so but it's true. Look, you said it yourself, Sasuke. This is the fourth day we've been out here. That means we've already used up eighty percent of the time we've got to complete the exam. Only thirteen teams can pass because there are only thirteen pairs of heaven and earth scrolls. And you've got twenty six teams, seventy eight candidates out looking for them. And if those odds weren't bad enough, things have gotten worse. Don't forget that creep Orochimaru burnt the Heaven Scroll we had…." Sakura reminded her teammates.

"Yeah I remember." Sasuke admitted, albeit slightly begrudgingly.

"The number of complete pairs of scrolls that could be found was reduced by one night there. Not to mention all the ones that had been found and secured by other teams since then…." Sakura added as Sasuke looked down.

"Maybe we gave ourselves too much time to rest and recover from out last fight, I don't know but what I do know is that we've got to get serious now and make up for lost time. The next enemy we face could be our last chance…." Sasuke said before standing up.

"I'm going to get water." Sasuke stood up before leaving.

"Get water?" Boruto looked lost at that.

"It's probably a cover up to try to see if he could get a scroll." Mitsuki surmised.

"Yeah most likely." Sarada agreed as Sasuke left, leaving Sakura and Naruto a bit lost before Naruto's eyes slightly lit up before getting the Earth scroll they had.

"Hey, Sakura!" Naruto said getting Sakura's attention, "I know how we can do this witout having to fight anyone." Naruto stated much to everyone's confusion.

"How?" Boruto cocked an eyebrow as Naruto poured out several scrolls in his weapons pouch.

"Oh I see." Mitsuki immediately understood Naruto's "plan" as Sarada just blinked.

"He can't be serious. No one's gonna believe that one of those scrolls will cut it as a heaven scroll." Sarada deadpanned as Sakura looked even more lost.

"What am I supposed to be looking at?" Sakura asked, utterly lost.

"What do you mean? Scrolls. I've got tons of them. You know, manuals of ninja and stuff like that. We could change one of these to look exactly like the heaven scroll." Naruto offered his idea as Sakura literally put an arm up in defense.

"Stop! Don't even! Even if you could fake the outside, how do you fake what's written inside? You couldn't know without reading it and that's against the rules, idiot." Sakura shut down Naruto's idea who didn't look unwavering in his plan.

"I've got it all figured out. I think these things have a secret code written in them that only makes sense if you put them both together. And that secret code is like the password you need in order to get into the tower at the end of the exam! Get it?" Naruto grinned, seemingly proud of his idea as Sakura just stared blankly at Naruto, wondering how much of an idiot he actually was.

"All I get is that you're a nimrod…" Sakura muttered, slowing building up her rage like a slowly erupting volcano before she exploded, "We've never even had a heaven scroll so how in the world are we going to take what's inside it!?", making Naruto stumble for a few seconds before he realized how foolhardy his proof is.

"The next 'brilliant' idea you get, how about keeping it to yourself?" Sakura suggested with a twitching brow before Naruto's head slowly raised as he had another idea.

"We do have a clue to what's inside the heaven scroll, the earth scroll." Naruto held said scroll up as Sakura glared at him.

"Either way, there's no guarantee they'll be exactly the same!" Boruto pointed out.

"You wouldn't." Sakura glared at her teammate.

"It's out only chance. I'm gonna open and read this scroll!" Naruto said before a harsh clonk from Sakura on his skull stopped his advances.

"Naruto! Can't you get it through your empty head!? We're expressively forbidden from opening the scrolls before arriving at the tower!" Sakura yelled.

"Thank you!" Sarada thanked.

"I know but if we don't do anything, we'll never make it!" Naruto whined before Sakura and Naruto looked at each other before looking down at the Heaven Scroll.

"…Okay fine…" Sakura said much to everyone's astonishment.

"Wait, what?" Sarada asked.

"Fine what?" Naruto blinked in confusion at Sakura's sudden statement.

"You're right…we're running out of time so let's do it…" Sakura sighed as Boruto and Sarada couldn't agree what they were hearing.

"Is she seriously? Wasn't she wailing on him for suggesting that like two minutes ago?" Sarada asked.

"I know they're desperate but still! Can't they at least wait until Uncle Sasuke gets back?" Boruto asked as Naruto gulped, starting to feel somewhat of a sense of foreboding.

"….W-well? You gonna do it?" Sakura asked as Naruto blinked back to reality.

"Y-yeah, believe it!" Naruto said slightly nervously as he started to slowly open the Earth Scroll but before he could open it any further from the flap, an unexpected hand, clapped down on Naruto's arm.

"I wouldn't if I were you." Kabuto looked down, much to everyone's shock.

"Kabuto? What's he doing here?" Sarada asked.

"I guess we should be thankful for him before they did anything too reckless." Mitsuki said as Sasuke immediately dashed back, mistaking Kabuto for an enemy initially before remembering him from the Chunin Exams.

Upon getting back, Kabuto informed Sasuke of what happened and needless to say, Sasuke wasn't too thrilled with his teammates.

"I can't believe you guys." Sasuke crossed his arms as Naruto and Sakura looked down in shame.

"He's like the irritated older brother of them." Sarada teased as Boruto and Mitsuki laughed.

"And Auntie Sakura would be the slightly responsible older sister." Boruto snickered.

"And Lord Seventh is the youngest sibling who needs to be kept on a leash." Mitsuki finished with all of Team Konohamaru sharing a laugh.

"If I hadn't come along when I did." Kabuto said as Sakura looked down harder.

"Sorry Sasuke… Sakura apologized, wishing she could crawl under a rock with Naruto muttered his own apology although his was significantly more half-hearted.

"There have been others who have broken the rules and tried to peek at the scrolls. I've seen what happens to them. They're protected by a powerful hypnosis jutsu, a kind of booby-trap for anyone unwise enough to try to read them. It will knock you senseless and by the time you wake up, the exam is over." Kabuto explained much to everyone's amazement.

"What!?" Boruto and Sarada yelled.

"They really dodged a bullet." Sarada shook her head.

"So I guess we owe that Kabuto guy?" Boruto cocked an eyebrow.

"It would seem so." Mitsuki said as Sasuke sent a dirty look to Naruto and Sakura who looked away before he decided to fix his attention on Kabuto.

"Kabuto, right? We met at the registration. What're you doing wandering around all by yourself?" Sasuke asked, feeling a bit weary as he was in no mood to fight this bizarre bespectacled boy if he could help it.

"Don't worry, I'm not after your earth scroll." Kabuto was quick to reassure Sasuke's fear as he darted his eyes away.

"I guess not. I suppose if you were, you would have just swiped it from Naruto when you had the chance. So you're looking for a heaven scroll too, huh?" Sasuke asked as Kabuto smirked.

"Not really. You see, I already have them both. I had a run of luck. I was just on my way to the tower to wait for my teammates to show up." Kabuto pulled out both scrolls before shrugging, "Now if you'll excuse me." Kabuto was about to walk off before Sasuke stopped him.

"Hold on! I'll fight you for it." Sasuke's eyes narrowed as Kabuto stared at Sasuke before amusement filled his eyes.

"How strong is Kabuto? Given that he's Orochimaru's right hand man…" Sarada trailed out.

"He has to be super strong then." Boruto said.

"His strength at that time was said to have been relative to Kakashi's from what my dad told me." Mitsuki said as his teammates looked at him in disbelief.

"That strong!? He has no chance then!" Boruto said as Kabuto smirked at him.

"You'll fight me for it?" Kabuto mused as Naruto and Sakura looked at him like he was crazy.

"Hold on a second! Is this a joke!?" Naruto spat though he was ignored.

"Are you serious?" Kabuto asked as Sasuke's eyes narrowed further.

"Perfectly. Sorry but I don't have time to play nice." Sasuke glared at Kabuto as this didn't sit well with Naruto.

"Back off, Sasuke! In case you've forgotten, this guy saved our butts!" Naruto spat.

"Naruto has a point. We don't wanna be ungrateful or anything." Sakura tried reasoning to Sasuke who would hear none of it.

"Shut up. It can't be helped. It's either him or us. Out here, it's all about surviving and winning. Nothing else matters." Sasuke assumed a fighting pose.

"I know he's right but to tell them to shut up…" Sarada frowned.

"They are losing time the longer they stand around." Boruto seemed to agree with Sasuke as Kabuto put a hand on his hip in amusement.

"Hmph, you're lying. Come on admit it. For all your tough talk, your heart really isn't in it." Kabuto called Sasuke on his bluff, igniting Sasuke's bluff before he continued, "If it was true, if winning was really the only thing that mattered to you, why openly challenge me to a fight? Why announce it and put me on my guard? Why not just jump me when my back's turned? After all, that is what a ninja would do?" Kabuto smirked as Sasuke growled as Naruto seemed to understand what Kabuto was saying.

"Hmm…that's pretty deep." Naruto muttered.

"Well he is right. For all his toughness, he's a bunny rabbit deep down." Sarada smiled softly.

"Especially when he's older." Boruto chuckled as Sasuke seemingly dropped his façade.

"It's okay. Acually, I admire you for it. So he's what I'll do. I'll show you the path you should follow." Kabuto suggested.

"This….sounds fishy." Sarada said.

"Yeah it's way too convenient." Boruto agreed.

"But they're on their last leg so what can they do?" Mitsuki asked as Kabuto continued.

But let's go, it's best we get out of here. The smell of that cooking fire is going to draw every wild beast in the forest. And not only animals but the competition, too." Kabuto was quick to point out as Team Seven quickly got their weapons and stuff ready before jumping trees to trees with Kabuto.

"You think there are still other candidates out there?" Sasuke asked Kabuto.

"Oh yeah, just think about it. What do you think is the most effective way of finding the scrolls in an area as large as this? To go searching through the forest for them? Kabuto asked the team.

"Uh…no." Sakura said with Kabuto agreeing.

"You wait for them to come to you. The tower at the center of the forest is the goal, right? So on the last day of the exam, that area will be crawling with teams converging on the tower with their scrolls." Kabuto explained.

"Oh I get him. Basically whatever poor sucker with their arm down, they can just jump someone!" Boruto realized with Kabuto meant.

"I wonder who the poor joe schmoe will be…" Sarada muttered.

"Oh I get it, like an ambush! So we just head for the tower, find a hiding place and when a team comes along with a heaven scroll, we jump them and take it!" Sakura basically said with Boruto and Sarada did.

"That's part of the problem." Kabuto interjected, surprising Sakura as he continued, "You guys aren't going to be the only ones thinking of this. Every other team that's lacking a scroll will be lying in wait just like you."

"Oh he's right….It's not like they're the only ones who may have only one scroll…" Sarada realized as Naruto chuckled.

"Heh, the more the merrier I'll say! Whoever they are, we'll take care of them! Wouldn't want this to be too easy." Naruto grinned in excitement.

"Typically dad. Loves a challenge." Boruto chuckled as his dad was way more pragmatic now.

"Indeed. It's not like he was some other orange clad person who spares people for petty reasons to have a fight and would risk the whole world or even the whole universe as a whole." Mitsuki smiled as Boruto and Sarada cut a look to Mitsuki as he looked somewhere else.

"Okay so we grab someone else's scroll and keep those losers from grabbing ours and bingo, we pass the second exam." Naruto grinned as Kabuto merely shook his head.

"That's merely two-thirds of the problem." Kabuto interjected again, slightly dejecting Naruto.

"Well at least we're getting closer. What else?" Sakura asked, not realizing just how dire their chances at nabbing a scroll were.

"Well, there's bound to be some collectors lurking around at the finish line. Even when you think you're home free, you can't relax your guard for an instant. This kind of exam always brings them out-Collectors….they gather extra sets of scrolls to use for various ends. For example to bribe their way out of unexpected situations or to provide their village mates with the scroll they're lacking. Some steal them to keep candidates from rival villages from passing or to help out teams from their own village who couldn't find the scrolls on their own. Others steal them for their own dark purposes. They'll hang onto them to use against the stronger teams farther down the line. They'll be there alright and they're bad news. The closer you get to the tower, the more likely you'll be to run into them." Kabuto spelled out the current circumstances for everyone involved.

"Geez, the way he makes it sound, the Chunin Exams are one big black market." Boruto muttered.

"Well it kind of was. Just like with you and your ninja tools, remember?" Mitsuki asked as Boruto blushed before looking away.

"I see and I think I'm starting to understand why you brought us along with you. It's because you're frightened, aren't you?" Sasuke pondered.

"You bet I am." Kabuto sliughtly chuckled before the day slowly mutated into night time.

"Uh oh, night time….And sunrise is only a couple of hours away…" Boruto dreaded.

"Which means the team they find could be their last." Sarada agreed, just as concerned.

"There's the tower and that means the end is in sight. Now comes the hard part." Kabuto stated to everyone.

"Well it's about time!" Naruto pumped, ready to win the exam before they hear someone or something rustling in the bushes behind them.

"Someone's hiding?" Sakura pointed out as Naruto threw a handful of Shuriken in the area where the sound was before the sound was revealed to be a large centipede.

"Gross!" Sarada cringed.

"That is one big bug…" Boruto blinked, just as creeped out.

"Shino-Sensei would probably love that." Mitsuki joked.

"Oh false alarm, it's just a centipede." Naruto said.

"It's just a centipede? That creepy thing's as big as a bug." Sakura cringed with Sarada nodding her head.

"Hey Naruto? Do us a favor and try to keep it down to a dull roar, will you? See, the whole idea is not to let anyone know we're here. If you go crashing through the forest like an elephant, you're going to draw collectors like flies. We want to find them before they find us." Kabuto said with Naruto looking absolutely embarrassed.

"Oh yeah…I see your point…" Naruto looked away in embarrassment.

"Take it slow and quiet. Let's use all the time we've got left." Kabuto said with everyone looking and scanning the area for any poor soul.

"Is it just me or does the tower not look any closer?" Sarada noted.

"Yeah it's like they're going in circles." Boruto added.

"I guess this means they're getting close to their potential new enemy…" Mitsuki assumed before Team Seven and Kabuto stumbled onto a trap with tons of dead bodies literaly around looking around like pincushions.

"What the hell happened here?" Sarada cringed at all the death around her.

"Traps, huh?" Sasuke asked, surprisingly calm.

"Yah and it only gets worse from here." Kabuto said as Naruto blinked as he walked before tripping over a thin line of wire as a flurry of Shuriken started to slowly rain down upon Naruto.

"Dad!" Boruto yelled before Kabuto shoved himself on top of Naruto, protecting him before his back was basically turned into a pincushion.

"K-Kabuto!" Naruto yelled as Team Konohamaru could see Naruto's eyes twinge in sadness as they saw the memory flash slightly back to the Land of Waves before it returned back to current time.

"…I guess it would make him remember that time…" Sarada said as Naruto couldn't believe another person was protecting him.

"N-no…no way…" Naruto felt his heart stop but before he could get too sad, thankfully, Kabuto poofed into a log as the real one stood atop a nearby tree above.

"Thank god…" Naruto gratefully sighed in relief.

"Like I said, it only gets worse from here." Kabuto said as Team Seven merely shuddered in response as they realized just how screwed they were. Well, even more anyways.

As the team continued to trek on, Sakura huffed before taking a knee in exhaustion.

"For crying out loud….how far have we walked….that tower's not getting any closer…" Sakura huffed falling to the ground where she kept herself up, purely by her arms.

"Now that you mention it, I was thinking that, too. It's weird." Naruto agreed as Kabuto and Sasuke looked around.

"It would seem that we've been spotted. Somebody's playing games with us. That ring a bell?" Kabuto pointed behind Naruto as he felt his heart drop.

"Oh man, no way! It can't be! What's the big idea?" Naruto couldn't believe that they were back with the huge centipede.

"What's going on?" Sakura asked.

"Must be some sort of genjutsu." Sarada said before activating her Sharingan.

"I knew it had to be something like that!" Boruto noted as Sasuke assumed the same.

"Genjutsu, huh?" Sasuke cocked an eyebrow.

"That's what it looks like. And we fell for it completely." Kabuto sighed, slightly bemused before continuing, "We were so concerned with not being seen by anyone that we didn't see we were walking around in circles."

"What's their game?" Sasuke asked.

"They're probably trying to wear us down and then strike when we're frustrated and mentally exhausted." Kabuto explained.

"You mean like we are, right now?" Sasuke asked.

"Right. They'll be coming soon." Kabuto said, cocking up his glasses as the enemies started to finally show themselves as tens of several different clones started literally come up from the trees, bushes and every around.

"What the hell? There's so many!" Sarada noted.

"Heh, looks like Lord Seventh's gonna get his fight after all." Mitsuki chuckled.

"Well Naruto, you wanted a fight." Sasuke smirked as Naruto smirked back.

"Hmph, four against forty? I like these odds!" Naruto grinned, prepping himself for the upcoming fight.

"W-what are they?" Sakura asked, feeling a little bit overwhelmed by the huge number.

"Clones by the looks of it and a whole lot of them." Kabuto answered as one of the black clad clones chuckled at the perplexed expressions of Naruto and Sakura.

"Like cornered rats." One of the clones said, much to Naruto's irritation.

"Oh yeah? Cornered rats, are we!?" Naruto yelled as he punched one in the torso, seemingly taking it down for the count.

"That's showing them, way to go!" Sakura cheered before Naruto's fist actually ran through him as if the clone's body was made of play doh.

"Wait, what? It's like his body is made of silly putty!" Sarada pointed out.

"What are they?" Boruto asked.

"That was a clone." Mitsuki said as everyone looked surprised and even slightly creeped out. What was this person's secret?

"I just touched him and he turned into mush….." Naruto barely got up in confusion, missing the clone forming out of the person's mangled body as it touted a double sided kunai.

"Behind you!" Boruto and Sarada yelled with Sasuke taking the initiative to save his friend.

"Naruto, watch out!" Sasuke yelled, activating his Sharingan as he threw a shuriken, sawing off the arm of the clone who was able to cleave off Naruto's head. Not at all pleased by this, the clone threw another double sided kunai at Sasuke who looked ready to move but found himself paralyzed.

"What's dad doing just standing there!? He's gonna get himself killed!?" Sarada yelled as Kabuto took note of this.

"Down!" Kabuto was quick to push Sasuke down, saving him at the cost of getting his upper arm cut.

"Sasuke!" Sakura ran to his side before helping him up.

"What's wrong with him? Why didn't he move?" Boruto asked as Mitsuki kneeled to Sasuke's level before his eyes widened as he noticed Sasuke's curse mark pulse and light up a light orange color.

"It's the curse mark. His body hasn't quite adapted to it yet." Mitsuki examined.

"What!? Geez, what did Orochimaru do to him?" Sarada growled, feeling a great amount of disdain for Orochimaru as Kabuto observed the kunai before noticing something quite literal and real about it.

"Surrender your scroll." All of the clones in the area continued to repeat almost like a mantra.

"Wait, that kunai looks real so Kabuto's wound isn't like a genjutsu." Boruto noticed as Sarada nodded as an idea came to her mind.

"Sharingan!" Sarada said as she activated her Sharingan before noticing a figure in the tree.

"These clones are just genjutsu and the real body is nearby!" Sarada informed her teammates.

"And of all the times that we can't interfere with a memory…" Boruto growled in frustration.

"The fact that Kabuto is wounded and bleeding means that these things are real Shadow Clones! But man, Shadow Clones are supposed to vanish when you give them a good shot but these things don't! So what the heck are we dealing with? Some kind of Genjutsu?" Naruto asked, catching onto what was happening as everyone else in the memory seemed to also as the clones continued their sayings of wanting Team Seven and Kabuto to surrender their scrolls.

"Ugh, do these guys ever shut up?" Boruto asked, getting annoyed with them saying "surrender your scrolls".

"For once I agree." Sarada said, wishing there was some sort of sound jutsu that can plug someone's ears.

"Come and get it!" Naruto yelled, ready for another round.

"It's no use, save it! You'll only be fighting illusions….it's Genjutsu alright…" Sasuke huffed in exhaustion trying to regain his surroundings.

"Illusions? But how? That gash on Kabuto's arm is real enough." Sakura was quick to point out as Kabuto cradled his injured arm.

"That's true but still Sasuke is right. It could be the real enemy is hiding somewhere in the woods nearby launching real attacks from behind a smokescreen of illusions and coordinating their movements with them so that we're fooled into thinking these Genjutsu Shinobi are the ones attacking us." Kabuto theorized.

"Geez, why can't things be easy for once?" Boruto muttered.

"Whoever said being a shinobi is easy, moron!" Sarada chided Boruto who scoffed.

"Well wherever they are, what're we gonna do, just stand here? Let's go find these clowns and take care of them!" Naruto was ready to charge again before Kabuto stopped him.

"Hold on, Naruto. They'd love nothing better for us to go searching blindly through the forest while they sit back and take us out one by one. We'd just be making their jobs easier for them. I know this kind of attack. The kind who use it do so because they're weak in Taijutsu and afraid of close, hand to hand combat, according to my data. We have no choice…All we can do is hold our ground and fend off their attacks." Kabuto said to everyone as they didn't look too happy with that answer.

"Okay fine, whatever. Let's just do it." Naruto pulled a kunai out as the team had to avoid more weapons much to their chagrin.

"Man, how much longer is this gonna go on?" Sakura groaned with no one really disagreeing with her.

"Okay, this is gonna work." Naruto said, weaving a hand sign.

"Wait, it's pointless. You'll only waste your chakra. By trying to fight these, you'll just be doing what they want." Kabuto tried warning Naruto who merely grinned in response.

"If we were to eliminate all of the illusions, whoever is casting them wouldn't be able to hurl kunai at us without us being able to see where they're hiding. I'll show the two can play at this game." Naruto grinned like a fox before activating his signature jutsu, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" as the amount of clones were matched by the number of Naruto's clones in terms of numbers.

"Whoo! Clone Rumble!" Boruto grinned as he could've sworn he saw this in a video of sorts.

"But can they do it?" Sarada asked.

"Given where they are now, obviously." MItsuki answered as Sarada shot Mitsuki a look.

"Okay you don't have to get sarcastic with me! Smartass…" Sarada muttered the last part to herself.

Sasuke, Sakura and even Kabuto himself joined in the assault which seemed to push the clones back somewhat but eventually exhaustion was starting to kick in with the team.

"Oh no….they're on their last legs…" Sarada frowned in concern as she took note on how tired everyone looked.

"Even more, it's nearly sunrise!" Boruto pointed at the sun which was starting to slowly rise.

"Time is running out…" Mitsuki noted as the clones started to slowly disperse revealing the mastermind behind them, none other than Oboro.

"Hey wait, I remember him! He was the guy who tied dad up at the start of the exams!" Boruto pointed.

"Yeah! Looks like he recovered." Sarada said, not thrilled in seeing this clown again as those in the memory seemed to also remember Oboro, especially Sasuke.

"Hey, I know you. You're the one who cut me on the shoulder! That really messed me up, you know. Oh well….Now I can finally pay you back….with interest." Oboro's eyes gleamed in excitement as everyone seemed to tense in dread before Naruto suddenly smirked.

"Huh?" Oboro turned his head in confusion before a familiar voice made its presence known.

"Well, well….now who's the cornered rat?" The amused voice of Sasuke rang through the air, confusing everyone in the memory.

"Oh I see now. He tricked them." Boruto snickered.

"Worked like a charm, Naruto." Sakura also praised her teammate as Team Oboro noticed that Sasuke, Sakura and Kabuto were behind them.

"What!? It can't be! If they're over there then who're they!?" Oboro demanded as Naruto snickered.

"Confused? Sorry but it was the only way to get you guys to come out of hiding!" Naruto smirked as he revealed that the guys by his side were nothing but transformations of Naruto's Shadow Clones.

"Don't tell me that little brat!" Oboro could barely believe his ears. He thought his plan to get their scroll and kill them was one hundred percent fool proof!

"Heh! The Shadow Clones were only the first part of it. My real trick was coming up with clones for the rest of my squad." Naruto smirked, standing up.

"While our doubles did all the fighting and took the beatings, we were safe and sound waiting for you to show yourself. What do you think, guys? I think our little plan worked." Sasuke grinned, feeling proud of their little plan as it finally seemed like the tables were turning in their favor.

"Ingenious! That's one way to do it!" Sarada beamed.

"Now do it and take him down!" Boruto cheered as Naruto was ready to end things before he suddenly fell atop one knee.

"Dad?" Boruto asked.

"Having such a plan would be costly with his chakra…" Mitsuki noted.

"And with everything they've been through in the forest…." Sarada trailed on as Naruto gasped at his lack of energy.

"Naruto, take a break! You've used up too much of your chakra. Don't worry, I've got them." Sasuke grinned before Naruto suddenly found his second wind as he punched all three of Team Oboro into the ground.

"Hehe, after all the work I've done, there's no way I'm gonna stand back and let you have all the fun!" Naruto chuckled, holding a fist in exhaustion.

"But it won't do you any good if you fall over in exhaustion." Sarada frowned in concern. Especially with the seal Orochimaru placed on him, how long could Naruto carry on?

"But it's amazing watching how much dad has improved after several months!" Boruto smiled in absolute pride of his father as Team Seven and even Kabuto looked impressed with Naruto's strength.

Team Oboro looked downright fearful.

"This kid shouldn't even be able to move, let alone this…." Oboro gulped before growling.

Not bad but that doesn't mean it's over! We're still feeling lucky…And besides, time is running out for all of us…so we'll just have to take the gloves off and show you our Ninjutsu!" Oboro declared with the sun started to slowly rise in the area.

"Geez, can't these guys just take the L?" Boruto shook his head.

"Taking a note out of Yoroi's slang book, huh?" Mitsuki chuckled as Boruto blushed.

"But time is running out. They need to end this soon…" Sarada noticed the sun was slowly getting brighter.

"Falcon Jutsu!" Oboro said as a swarm of clones surrounded him much to everyone's confusion.

"Shadow Clones?" Naruto and Boruto simultaneously asked.

"Big deal?" Boruto couldn't see what the big deal was.

"Those're real clones. Don't waste your strength, bone-head. Let them make the first move." Sasuke tried warning his friend as Naruto shook his head.

"If these are clones then the real ones are in there with them. All I've got to do is smash my way through until I find the ones that squeal!" Naruto argued much to Sasuke's chagrin.

"No, don't be an idiot! Listen to me!" Sasuke tried reasoning with Naruto who scoffed in defiance.

"Get off my back, will you!? Just stay out of it! I can handle this!" Naruto yelled as Boruto and Sarada face-palmed.

"They're doing this at a time like this!? Not even me and Boruto are this bad!" Sarada said, hoping they weren't that bad as Naruto charged the clones trying to search for the real one only to be unsuccessful in finding the source or laying a solid hit.

"Naruto, stop!" Kabuto tried stopping Naruto in his seemingly foolish advance.

"Could be it they're all fake or could it be Genjutsu again?" Sakura asked.

"What's going on this time?" Boruto asked before a shriek of pain got everyone's attention as they turned to see Sasuke clenching his shoulder in pain.

"Sasuke, please stop using your Sharingan!" Sakura was quick to run to Sasuke's side as she tried to help him anyway she could.

"The curse mark again!?" Sarada asked in concern and disbelief as Naruto was quick to turn his head away, missing the incoming kunai from Oboro.

"Dad, duck!" Boruto yelled.

"You should never give your enemy an opening!" Naruto was slow to react to Oboro's threat and was saved from being cleaved by a kunai by Kabuto who was cut on his leg as well as his arm.

"Hey, Kabuto, you okay?" Naruto asked only to get angry when Kabuto didn't respond.

"Now you guys are gonna get it." Naruto growled.

"Forget it, Naruto…you can swing at those guys all day. You're just wasting your time on them….the real ones aren't there." Sasuke pushed himself awake.

"Yeah if what happened before was any indication, that's kinda obvious." Sarada nodding as Naruto was looking a bit tired at all this horseplay.

"What're you talking about? That last attack didn't come from any clone. Of course the real ones are here! They've gotta be here! If they're not then where the heck are they?" Naruto asked in frustration.

"Use your head, if I knew the answer to that, we wouldn't be in this fix." Sasuke grunted as Naruto fell on one knee again, exhaustion slowly taking its hold on Naruto.

"Looks like they've reached the end of their rope. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted." Oboro was ready to end it before he ended it with Sarada noticing something upon activating her Sharingan.

"They're down there!" Sarada pointed, revealing the real team.

"Oh I see now! They're using Earth Style jutsu to attack when everyone's guard is down!" Boruto realized before Kabuto was suddenly cut across the face with a sharp blow from a kunai.

"Oh damn!" Boruto yelled.

"Kabuto!" Naruto yelled as his friend hit the ground hard.

"That scar makes him look like Iruka." Mitsuki shrugged, ignoring the bizarre looks from his teammates.

Before Oboro could finish him off, he was cut off with a harsh glare from him.

"Whoa…what's with that look? It's…scary…." Sarada actually took a step back.

"Like he's gonna unleash a power that'll knock people out just by looking at them…" Boruto added as Team Oboro actually looked scared at the look in Kabuto's eyes.

Something which Naruto took advantage of and was quick to kick the jerks, knocking them out and finally ending the fight.

"Like you said, you should never let your guard down." Naruto chuckled.

"Haha, good point. Thank you, Naruto. You really saved my neck." Kabuto sheepishly laughed as Naruto finally fell back in exhaustion.

"Way to go, Naruto!" Sakura cheered as Boruto stretched his arms.

"Finally, it's over!" Boruto exhaled in relief.

"I'll say, it was starting to get tedious." Sarada agreed.

"It was like padding you see in an anime episode." Mitsuki also agreed, once again disregarding the looks he received from his friends.

Luckily, Team Oboro had the scroll Naruto and friends needed as they finally reached the tower as the sun fully came out, signaling the start of daytime.

"There you are, Kabuto. You're late." One of Kabuto's teammates, a male around his age with black glasses, said.

"Sorry about that. I got a little sidetracked." Kabuto sheepishly apologized as Naruto chuckled.

"Yeah and are we glad that you did. After all, it was only thanks to you that we got both scrolls!" Naruto smiled, feeling nothing but gratitude for the gray-haired young man.

"Not really. You did most of it on your own. Especially you, Naruto. Very Impressive." Kabuto complimented Naruto who blushed at the comment before he continued, "Well this is the door that we go through. So long and good luck to us both."

And with that both teams gave smiles of appreciation and friendship before entering the opposing doors.

"Huh…where is everyone?" Boruto asked.

"Maybe given that guy was the last guy they saw before they got to the tower, they're the last ones there?" Sarada threw out that possibility as Team Seven looked just as confused as Team Konohamaru.

"What's the deal? There's nobody here." Naruto was quick to point out the lack of people unlike last time as Sasuke and Sakura also looked around in confusion.

"It's okay, Sakura. I can imagine." Sasuke said before walking off.

"Sure." Sakura smiled though anyone could see internally she was pissed at that.

"Huh…I don't get it. What happens now?" Naruto asked as Sakura noticed something in front of them.

"Hold on a second, just look at that." Sakura pointed to what looked like a poster on the wall.

"What is it?" Boruto asked.

"If qualities of heaven are your desire, acquire wisdom to take your mind higher. If earthly qualities are what you lack, train your body and prepare to attack. When heaven and earth are open together, the perilous path will become righteous together. This something is the secret way that guides us from this place today." Sakura explained much to Naruto's confusion.

"Uh…what?" Naruto looked utterly lost.

"It looks like there's a word missing there. Anyway I think it's about the scrolls. I think we're supposed to open and read the heaven and earth scrolls." Sakura surmised.

"Oh so it's time, huh?" Boruto asked.

"It would seem so." MItsuki said as everyone looked a bit nervous considering what they learned would happen to any unfortunate soul that dared open it before the tower but it was the right time now.

As the team did so, smoke started to seep from the scrolls.

"Wait, what's going on?" Boruto asked as Sasuke gasped in realization.

"It's a summoning jutsu! Naruto! Sakura! Quick! Get rid of the scrolls!" Sasuke ordered as the two didn't need to be reminded twice before quickly throwing them away before the smoke died down revealing none other than…

"It's you?" Sasuke's eyes widened.

"Hey. Long time no see, huh?" Iruka Umino grinned at his students.

"Iruka?" Everyone gasped out with varying levels of surprise.

* * *

And I think that's the **PERFECT **place to end the chapter!

Jesus Christ that was over 20,000 words on Word and next chapter it's gonna be even LONGER given that I plan on covering ALL of the preliminary matches!

Oh boy what fun….(Sweat drops) ^_^

But at least we're getting into the fun stuff now! I can only apologize again for the screw up with the upload time and failure to look over and make sure I put the right day down but I will NOT make that same mistake again! XD

And with that I shall leave you with this chapter and see you all again in Chapter 15 coming January 6th of next year so look for it then!

Thanks guys and have a great evening! ^_^

As a side note in doing to rewatching these episodes, I've listened to the second ending "Harmonia" and I remember the first time I saw it as a kid back in 2007! My mom bought me the Naruto Box Set which contained the episodes that had it and I honest to god thought it was a fever dream since I was home sick at the time XD


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